Barcelona's Luis Suarez celebrates scoring their third goal with Lionel Messi and Philippe Coutinho. (Reuters File Photo)
MADRID, JANUARY 15 (REUTERS): La Liga champions Barcelona became the first soccer team to spend over half a billion euros in wages after their staff costs shot up by 42 percent over the past year, according to a study by KPMG.
KPMG's Football Benchmark study analysed the squads and finances of the respective champions of Europe's top eight leagues. The Catalans, who signed Brazil playmaker Philippe Coutinho from Liverpool in January 2018 for a club record 160 million euros ($183 million), have staff costs of 562 million euros a year. Along with the arrival of France forward Ousmane Dembele in August 2017 and the renewal of several players' contracts, including talisman Lionel Messi's, their expenditure in this field has increased hugely.
Paris St Germain have the second highest wage bill on the KPMG list at 332 million euros, an increase of 20 percent.
