Barcelona Economic VP Javier Faus confirmed that the team's qualification for the quarterfinals of the Champions League -- which it secured by beating Man City 4-1 on aggregate on Wednesday -- helped the team "meet the budget it established before the season," according to MARCA. Faus: "We always set our budget based on reaching the quarterfinals of this competition. It is difficult to quantify the economic losses that this would have meant, not just because of payment from UEFA, but also because of TV and ticket revenue. It could have cost us €4-5 million ($5.6M-7M)" (MARCA, 3/13). The EFE reported Faus "admitted on Thursday that the club could obtain more money from its sponsorships with Nike and Qatar Airways." Faus pointed out that Barcelona's "revenue from marketing has increased 50%" since '10. Faus: "It is typical that contracts are renewed every five years. With Nike, our deal was signed in 2008. Six years have already passed and it is normal for us to have the chance to improve the terms." Faus "also insisted that the contract with Qatar Airways -- which includes not only the shirt sponsorship but also Camp Nou -- could also be improved in the future." Barcelona signed its Qatar Airways partnership in '10 (EFE, 3/13).
