Joan Laporta reveals Barcelona's last-minute escape from Champions League ban

Speaking during the club's General Assembly, Laporta said the situation became critical as UEFA initially pushed to suspend the Catalan giants from European competition.

He explained that the club's financial struggles, inherited from former president Josep Maria Bartomeu's tenure, left them constrained by La Liga's strict spending limits.

"UEFA wanted to punish us by not allowing us to play in the next Champions League," Laporta admitted. "One of the arguments we presented was that Barcelona are not a limited company and therefore cannot increase capital. That helped us reduce the fine from 60 million euros to 15 million."

Barcelona resorted to their now-famous "financial levers" in 2022, selling portions of future assets such as television rights to raise immediate funds. Laporta defended the controversial strategy, saying it was essential to stabilise the club's finances rather than manipulate the system.

"The levers were intended to alleviate the situation we found ourselves in four and a half years ago," he said. "They are not a capital increase but a transfer of assets for a set period. We transferred 25 percent of our television rights to a fund, which brought in 600 million euros. This allowed us to save the club."

Barcelona have managed to avoid UEFA's most severe punishment for now, but their narrow escape serves as a warning. A Champions League campaign without one of Europe's most historic clubs would have sent shockwaves across football, and reminded others that even the biggest teams are not immune to FFP sanctions.