FC Barcelona is once again turning to the courts in a bid to secure the registration of players Dani Olmo and Pau Victor, after La Liga determined that the club does not have sufficient salary cap space to register the duo following the expiration of their injury exemptions. Neither player will participate in the upcoming Copa Del Rey match against Barbastro, but the club is taking the matter to the Higher Sports Council (CSD) to seek a precautionary order to register both players.
On January 3, the Monitoring Committee of the RFEF-LaLiga Coordination Agreement concluded that the players could not be registered. The committee’s statement cited regulations that prevent a player whose license has been canceled from being registered on the same team within the same season.
Barcelona hopes to find a resolution through an appeal, as Olmo and Victor are now effectively free agents unless they can be re-registered. Reports indicate that Olmo has a clause in his contract that could allow him to leave for free if he is not registered, although he has expressed his commitment to stay with the club.
The background to this situation involves Olmo, a former Barcelona academy player, who joined from RB Leipzig, and Victor, who came from Barcelona B. Barcelona managed to register both players during the summer by utilizing 80% of an injured player’s salary, specifically Andreas Christensen’s, but this arrangement was temporary and expired at the end of the year.
The reason for the non-extension of their registration was due to Barcelona’s struggles to comply with La Liga’s financial fair play rules, compounded by renovation delays at Spotify Camp Nou and the unexpected need to acquire Wojciech Szczesny as a substitute goalkeeper. Although the club agreed to sell VIP boxes to raise funds for the players, they were unable to prove the availability of those funds in time.
Historically, Barcelona has navigated financial challenges by selling media rights and securing sponsorship deals, such as with Spotify and Nike. However, with the spending cap now in effect under La Liga, the situation has become more complex, and while other players like Iñigo Martínez were registered smoothly, Olmo and Victor face an uphill battle.
Moving forward, Barcelona’s prospects hinge on the outcome of their hearing with the CSD. If the appeal is successful, it would be a valuable takeaway for the club amidst a tumultuous situation. As they currently sit third in La Liga with 38 points, behind Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid, every match counts. Their upcoming encounter against Getafe on January 18 could see the gap to Atletico increase if results don’t go their way, further emphasizing the urgency of resolving the registration issue.
Despite the ongoing challenges, Barcelona’s resilience in pursuing regulatory avenues could inspire hope for a favorable resolution that reinforces their commitment to both players and their competitive ambitions.