The International Centre for Sports Studies (CIES), an independent research institution affiliated with FIFA and UEFA, specializes in statistical analysis of soccer. CIES recently announced the list of football clubs with the worst transfer balance over the past 10 years.

One of the clubs that feature on this list is Barcelona. This is because in recent years, the high transfer fees paid to acquire players from other clubs have not been matched by on-field performance, leading to significant economic loss.

Barcelona’s player acquisitions have been a major topic in recent soccer world news and epitomize the inflation in the transfer market. However, these high transfer fees have not led to expected results, pressurising the club’s finances.

In any case, as this list shows, high-cost player acquisition does not necessarily guarantee success. Soccer is not just about the players’ abilities, but also about strategies and teamwork among many other complex factors that can influence the outcome.

It remains to be seen what strategy Barcelona will adopt next, and what other clubs can learn from Barcelona’s experience. The future movements will attract attention.