MADRID (AP) — Spain’s government intervened on Wednesday to temporarily permit midfielder Dani Olmo and forward Pau Víctor to continue representing Barcelona despite the Spanish league’s refusal to do so.
Barcelona contested the league’s decision and appealed to Spain’s Higher Council for Sport, a government entity operating under the purview of the ministry of education and sports. Initially, the council ruled in favor of Barcelona, allowing the two players to continue their participation in official competitions while the appeal is under review and a final decision is pending.
Last summer, Olmo and Víctor were registered only until the conclusion of 2024, and Barcelona, facing financial difficulties, failed to comply with the league’s financial fair-play regulations by the end-of-year cutoff. Once the necessary documentation was rectified by the club, the league, endorsed by the Spanish soccer federation, rejected Barcelona’s bid to register the players for the remainder of the season. In a joint statement, the league and federation conveyed that despite Barcelona eventually meeting the salary-cap requirements, the players could not be re-registered subsequent to being omitted due to the missed deadline.
Barcelona contended that the deadline for player registration should align with the conclusion of January, coinciding with the closure of the transfer window, as opposed to the league’s stipulated deadline at the end of December.
Reportedly, Barcelona managed to enhance its salary cap after receiving a payment of 100 million euros ($103 million) last week for VIP seats at the renovated Camp Nou stadium. Each La Liga club operates under a salary cap determined by various factors such as revenues, expenses, and debts, approximately amounting to 70% of a club’s revenues.
Barcelona has faced challenges in registering players recently due to financial constraints, resorting to asset sales in recent seasons, including future television rights. The club’s financial woes contributed to Lionel Messi’s departure in 2021.
Olmo emerged as Barcelona’s premier signing during the offseason after aiding Spain in clinching the European championship.
Should Barcelona fail to secure a favorable outcome with the Higher Council of Sports, legal recourse through ordinary courts remains a potential option.
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