Bayern's Philippe Coutinho scores his side's eighth goal against Barcelona. Photo / AP
Barcelona could be forced to pay Liverpool a whopping $9 million if Philippe Coutinho – their own player – wins the Champions League this season with Bayern Munich.
The Spanish giants were dumped out at the quarter-finals stage of the competition thanks to an 8-2 thrashing at the hands of
Bayern, with help from Coutinho who scored two late goals against his parent club.
The Brazilian playmaker has been on a season-long loan with Bayern since the start of the season, but Barcelona face having to fork out a Champions League victory clause attached to his initial transfer from Liverpool which reportedly did not specify that it had to be for them.
So if Bayern go on to win the Champions League, the Catalans will still have to pay up the $9 million – essentially paying Liverpool for their own player to help beat them.
"Coutinho is not the first loan player to score against the team that owns him and there is no great shame in that, but if he wins the Champions League with Bayern, Barcelona will reportedly owe Liverpool €5m more," wrote Guardian writer Sid Lowe.
