Already struggling financially, FC Barcelona have now been ordered to pay one of their former players €8.5 million (R155 million).
Barca have been relatively quiet in terms of transfer activity of late, with there being little reports linking them with potential signings in the current window.
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Last month, sporting advisor Jordi Cruyff revealed that the club is looking to continue their recent trend of going after players who will soon be free agents in order to avoid large transfers fees.
However, while their transfer strategy might seem organised today, this wasn't always the case, with the club having admitted to making mistakes in previous windows, particularly under the previous regime led by Josep Maria Bartomeu.
One of the last signings under the Spanish chief was Brazilian star Matheus Fernandes, who joined the side in January 2020 for a fee of €7 million (R127 million), plus €3 million (R54 million) in add-ons, on a five-year contract from Palmeiras.
The move was a dismal failure for all parties involved, though, as the 24-year-old was immediately sent out on loan to Real Valladolid before having his Blaugrana contract terminated in June 2021, with the player having made just one appearance for the Catalans.
The central midfielder was left furious by the termination of his deal, which came after he was told by former Barca boss Ronaldo Koeman that he was not good enough to represent the club.
The playmaker later filed for damages, and now according to Cadena SER, the LaLiga giants have been ordered to pay Fernandes €8.5 million for his unfair dismissal, although the player initially sought €14.8 million (R270 million) in "moral damages".
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Fernandes recently joined Red Bull Bragantino from Palmeiras on loan for the rest of the 2023 season.
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