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Honorary Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness slammed Barcelona for their financial mismanagement amid a debt that has ballooned to €1.45 billion (£1.27bn/$1.68bn). Hoeness, who expressed pride over how the Bavarians operate, claimed that Barcelona's way of functioning is highly unsustainable and would've resulted in demotion from the top-flight in any other country.

• Inside the financial collapse at Barcelona

  Barcelona's financial struggles are well-documented. During the final years under the presidency of Josep Maria Bartomeu, the Catalans spent recklessly and turned a blind eye to financial management. It has resulted in major repercussions for Barca in the recent past, with the club having to sell some of its assets in a desperate attempt to stabilise their sinking ship. 

  Barcelona are currently trapped under the staggering €1.45bn debt rubble. This all traces back to the €222m windfall from Neymar's transfer to Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2017, followed by a devastating drop in revenue due to Covid-19, and the skyrocketing costs associated with the €1.5bn Espai Barca redevelopment project. Instead of stabilising after Neymar's exit, the club opted to go on a lavish spending spree, racking up €960.3m in transfer fees over three years, with a net spend of €399m. Football costs soared as well, with wages and amortisation costs jumping from €367.4m to €593.9m, which consumed a whopping 81% of the club's revenue in the 2017-18 season, according to figures from .

  Lionel Messi's contract in 2017, which was valued at up to a mind-boggling €555.2m over a four-year period and ultimately cost around €515m, added even more strain to the finances. Matchday income plummeted from €174.9m to just €23.7m during the pandemic, leading to €389m in deferred salaries. By the end of the 2020-21 season, the Blaugrana reported a record loss of €555.4m, prompting president Joan Laporta to take drastic measures. He activated a series of 'financial levers,' such as selling 25 per cent of La Liga TV rights for €667.5m and offloading 49 per cent of Barca Studios – the club's main entity responsible for creating, producing, and marketing all of the club's audiovisual content – for €200m, although that deal has since lost value, with only €20m realised.

  To cover short-term losses, the club also recognised €71.6m from a €100m sale of VIP seats at the Camp Nou, all while the budget for Espai Barca inflated from an initial €600m to €1.5b, with actual spending already hitting €975m and revenue taking a hit due to the temporary move to the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys. Heavy borrowing ensued, including €595m from Goldman Sachs with €30m in annual repayments, a €265.7m bullet payment due in 2031-32, and €907.7m linked to the stadium project, making Barcelona the most indebted club in football. 

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  Bayern chief lambasts Barcelona’s reckless descent into debt

  Speaking on the this week, Bayern honorary president Hoeness didn't mince his words while addressing Barcelona's spiralling debt crisis. Hoeness insisted that Barcelona’s approach is incompatible with sustainable club management and admitted he is astonished they’ve managed to stay in the top flight given their financial turmoil.

  “Barcelona isn't the model I envision. In any other country, they wouldn't even be in the first division," he said. "When you have 1.3 billion euros in debt, how are you supposed to function? I find it absurd and incomprehensible that they're still playing in the top division. It's a club model I would never respect. In any normal country, a club run like that wouldn't even be in the first division. Honestly, it's a miracle they're still allowed to play in the first division.

  "It contrasts completely with the control we have at Bayern and our sound finances, which should be an example for all clubs in Europe. We can boast of solid management, with sound economic judgment, and a level of sporting quality that doesn't depend on financial manoeuvres.

  “The strict German licensing regulations and the pressure of audits would immediately paralyse a club with a debt of 1.3 billion euros."

• Barca still owe money to several clubs

  Barcelona's financial report of the 2024-25 season revealed some major details about the clubs still owed money by the reigning La Liga champions. Per the report, Barca still owe an outstanding amount of €159.1m (£140m/$184m) to several clubs. Premier League side Leeds United top the list, who are yet to receive the remaining €41.9m (£36m/$48m) for the transfer of Raphinha, signed in 2022. 

  Bayern Munich are owed a further €20m (£17m/$23m) for Robert Lewandowski, while Barca will need to pay €24.5m (£21m/$28m) for the services of Jules Kounde. All three aforementioned names arrived in Catalonia over three summers ago. 

  The debts extend further: Manchester City are due €13.3m (£11.5m/$15m) for Ferran Torres, and Real Betis are owed €8m from the sale of Emerson Royal. Smaller outstanding payments also remain with clubs such as Girona, Valencia, Sporting CP and Rennes.

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  Barcelona nearing their best on the pitch

  While the Catalans remain deeply mired in financial troubles, things are starting to look very bright as far as on-field matters are concerned. Despite losses to PSG, Sevilla, and Real Madrid in recent weeks, not to forget the shock 3-3 draw against Club Brugge in the Champions League, Hansi Flick and his team look like a rejuvenated outfit. Despite missing regulars such as Pedri and Gavi amid an injury crisis, the defending league champions have done a commendable job of cutting down Real Madrid's five-point lead down to just one. They will next face Chelsea at the Stamford Bridge on Tuesday.

Arsenal have an "AI dossier" which is reportedly powering Mikel Arteta's Premier League title pursuit, with the manager being assisted with input on transfers, tactics and even injuries. This quiet revolution is an attempt to build the most technologically advanced operation in English football. They have computer models humming with millions of data points to predict problems before they happen.

AI takes over Arsenal HQ

According to the the Gunners have rapidly expanded their data science department, investing heavily in artificial intelligence infrastructure. Competing with Europe’s elite clubs is no mean task, and Arsenal’s leadership have made it clear that they believe staying competitive requires not just talent on the pitch, but intelligence behind the scenes. A well-timed rotation could stop a key player from breaking down. One scouting insight could produce a bargain where others see no value. Arteta has already hinted, albeit cautiously, that the club’s adoption of AI is already underway.

"It’s in use already for many things and many processes that can help not just a team but an organisation as well," he said. "It will improve and it will give us good insight, or things at least to think about. I’m not an expert but it’s a valuable tool. We have developed certain things that in our opinion can help us to understand ourselves better and evaluate what we do and what we can improve."

Advertisement(C)Getty ImagesGunners have in-house performance models

The biggest breakthroughs at the club's London Colney base come through their tailor-made performance models, which are AI-driven programs designed internally by Arsenal's data scientists. Every day, enormous volumes of information are collected, including GPS sprint maps, recovery times, energy outputs, bio-mechanical readings, match actions, and even micro-movements during training drills. Unlike traditional analysis, which often relies on video clips and subjective assessments, these systems digest tens of thousands of data points from each session. The models then learn patterns about fatigue signals, mechanical inefficiencies, and subtle warning signs with a level of granularity no human eye could catch. The shift is profound as Arsenal are now preparing for what is about to happen, and not reacting to what has just happened.

Profiling every player: A live, evolving human data map

One major branch of Arsenal’s AI system is individual profiling. Every player, right from academy prospects to first-team starters, has a dynamic profile that logs sprint mechanics, joint stress patterns, muscle fatigue responses and changes under load. This gives Arsenal the ability to personalise training. No two players respond to stress in the same way, and machine learning allows coaches to tailor workloads to match bodies rather than the other way around. These profiles also highlight areas for improvement. Weaknesses can be addressed before they impact performance, which will allow players to train smarter, not harder. 

The most critical area of Arsenal’s AI application is injury prevention. William Saliba’s back problem derailed Arsenal’s 2022-23 title charge, while last season Kai Havertz’s hamstring injury forced Mikel Merino into an improvised striker role. The models identify clues such as tiny drops in acceleration, altered stride patterns, and minor imbalances that can signal impending muscle injuries. Before a congested fixture, run the system flags players with elevated fatigue risk, which helps Arteta to make an informed decision.

Arsenal’s analytics tools also parse opposition patterns frame by frame. Machine learning evaluates how full-backs behave under pressure, how midfield shapes morph in transitions, and where passing lanes appear during pressing triggers. This gives Arteta’s staff the opportunity to build game plans not on hunches, but on probability maps.

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GettyRecruitment rebuilt: Finding players who fit Arteta's blueprint

AI is also reshaping Arsenal’s transfer strategy. Beyond traditional metrics like goals or tackles, Arsenal’s models study adaptability across roles, physical intensity benchmarks, tactical compatibility with Arteta’s system, and log behavioural data from hundreds of match scenarios. Every role now has a detailed blueprint, such as what the physical output should look like, how quickly a player must transition, how he presses, and how he receives the ball under pressure. This tech-driven approach allows Arsenal to find undervalued players who might not shine in traditional stats but are ideal fits for Arteta’s structure. Arsenal’s technological leap is bold, advanced and path-breaking. However, whether it can end their 22-year wait for a Premier League title remains to be seen.

The New York Yankees are once again making some changes in the infield, having decided to put an end to the Jazz Chisholm Jr. experiment at third base.

Chisholm is set to return to his primary position of second base moving forward, leaving some question as to what the team intended to do at third base. Aaron Boone indicated it would be Oswald Peraza handling the bulk of the work over at the hot corner, though it remains possible that the Yankees scour the trade market for an upgrade at the position later this month.

With Chisholm returning to second base, DJ LeMahieu suddenly finds himself as the odd man out in the infield. Boone told reporters that the team does not intend to play the veteran infielder at third base, suggesting it was too much of a physical burden on the 36-year-old. So, instead, LeMahieu will be utilized in a bench role, Boone said, via Chris Kirschner of

When discussing the role change, Boone was asked how LeMahieu received the news.

"Not great, necessarily, but… that's kind of the situation we're in right now," Boone said.

This season, LeMahieu has played in 45 games and has a .266 batting average and a .674 OPS with two home runs and 12 RBIs. He's made all 45 appearances, including 35 starts, at second base.

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