Is FC Barcelona bankrupt? Details of the club's financial crisis

FC Barcelona's financial situation has been in the headlines for several months, but there are still so many questions that are being asked by concerned fans. What's the real situation at the Camp Nou and how much trouble is the club really in?

The biggest question is, are they bankrupt? According to an analysis by Marca, the club is not insolvent. They are facing a financial crisis but the club still has a lot of assets which can be used to dig themselves out of the hole they are in.

These assets include properties and of course, players. Last summer, they already made some moves to alleviate the financial strain by letting go of players like Luis Suarez, Arturo Vidal and Ivan Rakitic among others. This season, they can still free up some cash if they decide to sell the likes of Antoine Griezmann, Philippe Coutinho, Ousmane Dembele or Frenkie de Jong. Of course, the biggest asset is Lionel Messi, whose contract expires this summer. If he ends up leaving, his massive salary plus bonuses will be a big weight off Barcelona's back.

The upcoming elections will play a big role in the financial future of the club. In fact, the candidates for club president all seem to be keen on selling some of their top stars, even Messi, if it means bringing stability back to the coffers.

Barcelona also has the option of going public, meaning they could become a public limited sports company. This is not necessarily a bad thing, as most other La Liga clubs follow this model except for Real Madrid, Athletic Club and Osasuna. This means that Barcelona could be listed in the stock exchange and shares will be traded publicly instead of being a true club controlled by its members.

Simply put, the easiest option to generate cash is to let go of the players with the highest salaries and those which could be sold for large transfer fees. This makes way for the signing of young players with potential, but do not currently command skyrocketing salaries yet. That means there will be a lot of rebuilding at the Camp Nou, if they want to keep their fans happy with good results and at the same time keep their finances stable.

The incoming new president and manager Ronald Koeman have a monumental task on their hands.