The Moroccan winger Achraf Abde arrives at the first leg of the Andalusian classic against FC Barcelona with the best moment of his career, which makes him one of the key pieces of the new generation of Betis under the direction of Juan Carlos Pellegrini. His performance has grown steadily, with 15 goals and 13 assists last season and three goals in the current campaign, which has sparked the interest of the Blaugrana club, which still owns 20% of his financial rights.
Betis, which has kept Abde in the squad since his arrival at the reserve team in 2021, has given him the continuity and confidence necessary for him to become a decisive weapon in the attack. The player, who has already demonstrated his ability to overcome defenders in one-on-one situations, was publicly praised by German coach HansiFlick, who highlighted his “fantastic” game and cited the spectacular goal against Porto in the Champions League as an example of his quality.
Abde's growth not only has a sporting impact, but also an economic one for both clubs. Betis currently controls 80% of the player's rights, while Barça retains 20%. This distribution was achieved through several transactions: in September 2023, Betis paid 7.5 million euros to Barcelona for half of the economic rights, and in February 2025, the Barça club gave up an additional 30% within the framework of an agreement related to the early departure of VítorRoque. With these movements, Betis strengthened its position over the player and Barça maintained a participation without a buyback clause.
Abde has a contract with Betis until 2029 and a termination clause of 60 million euros. If a sale were to be completed at the value of the clause, the current distribution would imply that Barça would receive 12 million euros. Thus, Betis benefits from having one of its most disruptive players, while Barça maintains a potential source of income linked to the player's development.
With the classic scheduled for 6:30 p.m. and broadcast on DAZN, Betis and Barça will face off in a duel that promises to be exciting. While Betis seeks to consolidate its position in the table and take advantage of Abde's quality in attack, Barcelona will have to assess how to handle a player who, although still under their ownership, has proven to be increasingly valuable on the market. The next phase of the classic will be decisive both for the immediate performance and for future negotiations that could involve both clubs.