The Rise and Fall of FC Barcelona’s Fan Ownership Model

FC Barcelona was once considered a model of fan ownership in European soccer, with the club being owned by its members, known as Socios. This provided fans the power to elect the club’s President and be actively involved in its strategic decisions. Such an approach resonated with many soccer fans, especially in the United Kingdom, where some supporters felt marginalized from their clubs’ decision-making processes.

In the late 2000s, FC Barcelona became a symbol of purity and success, proudly displaying the slogan “Mes Que Un Club” or “more than a club” in its Nou Camp stadium and famously playing without a sponsor on its shirts. As politicians in the UK began to advocate for fan ownership models, FC Barcelona often served as an example to follow.

However, recent developments have cast a shadow over FC Barcelona’s reputation as a role model in club management. The once-dominant La Liga team has faced a series of challenges, largely attributed to what critics call a dysfunctional and short-term strategy. The club’s financial difficulties have been so severe that discussions about abandoning the fan ownership system have emerged.

In November 2022, FC Barcelona’s President Joan Laporta strongly opposed any suggestion that the club would become a public limited company. “A private company, with me as president, will never happen,” Laporta stated. He further emphasized the club’s unique ownership model, saying, “My presidency guarantees that Barça will always belong to its members.”

The financial issues prompted the club’s leadership to find alternative ways to raise funds without tapping into fan ownership equity. Laporta resorted to what have been called “financial levers,” strategies to generate capital through mortgaging future income or embarking on new investment projects. According to Laporta, these measures were necessary to save the club from “ruin” and avoid requesting financial assistance from its members.

The controversies surrounding FC Barcelona’s finances have sparked discussions around the effectiveness of its democratic ownership model. Experts suggest that the need to perform well and make ambitious transfers to satisfy supporters has led to financial strain, seen in costly and unsuccessful player acquisitions such as Phillipe Coutinho, Antoine Griezmann, and Ousmane Dembele.

In contrast, Real Madrid, one of Barcelona’s main rivals, has reportedly benefited from stable leadership under Florentino Pérez, allowing for a focused investment strategy involving younger, promising talents.

The debate over fan ownership continues, with critiques that such models, while democratic, may not always foster financial stability. In the UK, fan ownership has historically been a lifeline for clubs in distress, yet few examples show how such models operate effectively at the top level of the sport.

While supporters’ passion is invaluable, the FC Barcelona example underscores the necessity for having checks and balances in place when allowing fans significant control over a club’s direction.