كان يوما مريرا في حياة جون بارنز، أسطورة ليفربول والمنتخب الإنجليزي، حين أعلنت المحكمة العليا في لندن إفلاسه بعد تراكم ديون شركته الإعلامية «جون بارنز ميديا ليمتد» لتتجاوز مليونا ونصف المليون جنيه إسترليني. ونُشر القرار في «لندن غازيت»، في رسالة واضحة لكل النجوم أن المجد في ميادين الكرة لا يحمي من الانهيار المالي ومن لحظات الإفلاس، أو «BANKRUPT» كما عنونت أشهر صحف إنجلترا في مانشيتاتها على 8 أعمدة صحفية فوق صورة هذا اللاعب الأسطوري.
بارنز، الذي كان في أواخر ثمانينيات القرن الماضي رمزا لعصر الرواتب الضخمة، وأول لاعب إنجليزي يتقاضى 10 آلاف جنيه إسترليني أسبوعيا، واجه ضغوطا مالية ضخمة. سجلات التصفية كشفت أن ديون شركته تشمل 777 ألفا و878 جنيها لمصلحة الضرائب البريطانية، إضافة إلى 461 ألفا و849 جنيها لديون غير مضمونة، وقرض مديري بقيمة 226,000 جنيه.
رغم محاولاته لتسوية بعض الالتزامات عبر أقساط، ظل العجز أكبر من قدرته، ليصدر حكم الإفلاس. وحتى قبل هذا القرار، كان بارنز محظورا من أن يكون مديرا لشركته لمدة ثلاث سنوات ونصف السنة بسبب الديون.
لكن هذه ليست المرة الأولى التي يواجه فيها مشاكل مالية؛ فقد تصدرت قضاياه الضريبية عناوين الصحف منذ عام 2010، وآخرها في 2023، حين طُلب منه تسوية مستحقات 238,000 جنيه، والتي دفعها في اللحظة الأخيرة.
النجم السابق، الذي خاض 79 مباراة دولية مع إنجلترا وتوج مع ليفربول بلقبين للدوري خلال مسيرة احترافية استمرت نحو عقدين، كشف كيف خسر جزءا من ثروته بسبب أخطاء مالية:
«مثل كثير من اللاعبين الكبار، وثقت بالناس الخطأ، وتعرضت لخسائر بين مليون ومليون ونصف المليون جنيه خلال أربع سنوات».
وأضاف أنه بدأ مناقشات مع الهيئة الوطنية للضرائب في إنجلترا منذ 2017 لسداد ما عليه، وأنه دفع 2.2 مليون جنيه حتى الآن ويواصل الدفع بمعدل 10,000 جنيه شهريا. وأكد بارنز أنه باع كل ممتلكاته، وليس لديه أصول يمكن مصادرتها، نافيا أي محاولات للتهرب الضريبي، وموضحا أنه يسعى فقط لاستكمال السداد عبر المحكمة.
ولم يغفل بارنز الجانب الإنساني في تصريحاته، مؤكدا: «كرة القدم رياضة للطبقة العاملة، ولا أريد أن يظن الناس أنني غني ولا أدفع الضرائب. حتى لو كان يمكن إعلان إفلاسي بسهولة، فهذا لن يمنعني من الاستمرار في الدفع».
هذا الحكم أنهى فصلا مؤلما في حياة لاعب كان أحد أبرز وجوه ليفربول وإنجلترا، لتتحول قصته إلى جرس إنذار لنجوم لعبة كرة القدم والرياضة قاطبة، النجاح في الملاعب لا يعطي ضمانات على الأمان المالي، فحتى أساطير اللعبة معرضون للإفلاس يوما ما.
إفلاس أول لاعب إنجليزي يتقاضى 10 آلاف جنيه إسترليني أسبوعياً.. هل خدعه مستشاروه؟!
جون بارنز.. كرة القدم لا تدفع الفواتير أحياناً
4 أكتوبر 2025 - 22:51
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آخر تحديث 4 أكتوبر 2025 - 22:51
تابع قناة عكاظ على الواتساب
كتب: عبدالعزيز النهدي (جدة)
It was a bitter day in the life of John Barnes, the Liverpool and England legend, when the High Court in London declared him bankrupt after his media company, "John Barnes Media Limited," accumulated debts exceeding one and a half million pounds. The decision was published in the "London Gazette," sending a clear message to all stars that glory on the football fields does not protect against financial collapse and moments of bankruptcy, or "BANKRUPT" as the most famous newspapers in England headlined in their front pages above a picture of this legendary player.
Barnes, who in the late 1980s was a symbol of an era of huge salaries and the first English player to earn £10,000 a week, faced enormous financial pressures. Liquidation records revealed that his company's debts included £777,878 owed to the British tax authorities, in addition to £461,849 in unsecured debts, and a directors' loan of £226,000.
Despite his attempts to settle some obligations through installments, the shortfall remained greater than his capacity, leading to the bankruptcy ruling. Even before this decision, Barnes had been banned from being a director of his company for three and a half years due to the debts.
But this is not the first time he has faced financial problems; his tax issues have made headlines since 2010, with the latest in 2023, when he was asked to settle dues of £238,000, which he paid at the last moment.
The former star, who played 79 international matches for England and won two league titles with Liverpool during a professional career that lasted nearly two decades, revealed how he lost part of his wealth due to financial mistakes:
“Like many great players, I trusted the wrong people and suffered losses between one million and one and a half million pounds over four years.”
He added that he began discussions with the National Tax Authority in England since 2017 to settle what he owed, and that he has paid £2.2 million so far and continues to pay at a rate of £10,000 per month. Barnes confirmed that he sold all his possessions and has no assets that can be seized, denying any attempts at tax evasion, explaining that he is only seeking to complete the payments through the court.
Barnes did not overlook the human aspect in his statements, emphasizing: “Football is a sport for the working class, and I don’t want people to think I’m rich and not paying taxes. Even if declaring my bankruptcy could be easy, that won’t stop me from continuing to pay.”
This ruling ended a painful chapter in the life of a player who was one of the most prominent faces of Liverpool and England, turning his story into a wake-up call for football stars and athletes in general; success on the pitch does not guarantee financial security, as even legends of the game are at risk of bankruptcy one day.
Barnes, who in the late 1980s was a symbol of an era of huge salaries and the first English player to earn £10,000 a week, faced enormous financial pressures. Liquidation records revealed that his company's debts included £777,878 owed to the British tax authorities, in addition to £461,849 in unsecured debts, and a directors' loan of £226,000.
Despite his attempts to settle some obligations through installments, the shortfall remained greater than his capacity, leading to the bankruptcy ruling. Even before this decision, Barnes had been banned from being a director of his company for three and a half years due to the debts.
But this is not the first time he has faced financial problems; his tax issues have made headlines since 2010, with the latest in 2023, when he was asked to settle dues of £238,000, which he paid at the last moment.
The former star, who played 79 international matches for England and won two league titles with Liverpool during a professional career that lasted nearly two decades, revealed how he lost part of his wealth due to financial mistakes:
“Like many great players, I trusted the wrong people and suffered losses between one million and one and a half million pounds over four years.”
He added that he began discussions with the National Tax Authority in England since 2017 to settle what he owed, and that he has paid £2.2 million so far and continues to pay at a rate of £10,000 per month. Barnes confirmed that he sold all his possessions and has no assets that can be seized, denying any attempts at tax evasion, explaining that he is only seeking to complete the payments through the court.
Barnes did not overlook the human aspect in his statements, emphasizing: “Football is a sport for the working class, and I don’t want people to think I’m rich and not paying taxes. Even if declaring my bankruptcy could be easy, that won’t stop me from continuing to pay.”
This ruling ended a painful chapter in the life of a player who was one of the most prominent faces of Liverpool and England, turning his story into a wake-up call for football stars and athletes in general; success on the pitch does not guarantee financial security, as even legends of the game are at risk of bankruptcy one day.
