Barcelona receive $3-3.5 million from Rafa Marquez’s sudden departure

Less than a month after extending his contract with Barcelonaa Atletic until 2025, Rafa Marquez left the club for a six-year role with the Mexican national team.

Marquez’s move to Mexico caught Barcelona off guard, especially given that his continuation seemed assured just weeks ago.

Now, the Catalans are left searching for a suitable replacement to fill his void as they face a race against time, with pre-season training starting this Monday.

Despite the sudden news, Barcelona are set to still benefit financially from an unexpected windfall.

Mexico national team to pay a penalty clause

Indeed, according to SPORT, the Mexican Football Federation had to pay a ‘financial penalty’ to activate the termination clause releasing the Barcelona coach.

The report argues that Barça received between $3 and $3.5 million, an unexpected boost for the club’s finances.

After reaching an agreement with Rafa Marquez, the Mexican Football Federation negotiated with Barça to release him from his contract. The agreement included a standard financial penalty clause for unilateral termination.

Meanwhile, Barcelona are actively searching for a replacement to lead the reserve team, which narrowly missed promotion to the Second Division last season.

Although the Catalan giants were pleased with Marquez’s performance, the 45-year-old is leaving to seize an opportunity with the Mexican national team.

He will start as an assistant manager for two years before taking over as head coach, which explains his decision to move on.

In any case, the fee will help Barcelona tackle some of their pressing financial concerns and perhaps speed up the process of returning to the 1:1 rule in La Liga, which has stalled some of their work in the transfer window.