La Liga has declared that Barcelona currently lacks the financial capacity to register players Dani Olmo and Pau Victor, and the club’s ability to do so is still in question ahead of a ruling by Spain’s sports council (CSD) on their eligibility to play.
In January, Barcelona announced a deal to sell VIP boxes at the club’s Camp Nou stadium, which is undergoing a significant rebuild. The deal, reportedly worth 100 million euros ($108 million), was believed to provide the financial leeway for Barcelona to register the duo. This move was expected to allow the club to meet the financial fair play regulations and secure new licenses for the players.
However, La Liga’s statement on Wednesday cast doubt on this deal. The league confirmed that Barcelona used an unnamed auditor between December 31 and January 3, who recorded the VIP box deal on the club’s books. Yet, La Liga pointed out that the current auditor no longer includes the deal in Barcelona’s interim financial statements for the first part of the 2024-25 season.
La Liga’s statement explained, “No amount from the (VIP box deal) is ultimately recorded in the profit and loss accounts, contrary to what had been certified by the club and the auditor at the time of said transaction.” This discrepancy led La Liga to conclude that Barcelona does not have the necessary financial fair play capacity to register Olmo and Victor, both of whom have been temporarily cleared to play by the CSD.
In response, Barcelona president Joan Laporta vehemently rejected La Liga’s assertions, especially given the timing of the statement ahead of their crucial Copa del Rey semi-final clash with Atletico Madrid. Laporta accused La Liga of trying to destabilize the team, suggesting that some rivals, unable to beat Barcelona on the pitch, are trying to undermine them off the field.
“I have the feeling that this is not by chance, today we’re playing a huge game against Atletico Madrid,” said Laporta. “It’s another attempt to destabilise our team and sometimes I feel that as some can’t beat us on the pitch, they want to beat us off of it. As president of Barça I will not allow this and I will continue to defend the interests of our club.”
Earlier in January, the CSD granted Barcelona temporary permission to use Olmo and Victor after La Liga’s failure to register them by a December deadline. Barcelona had been given short-term licenses for the players, which were set to expire at the end of December. With these temporary licenses, Olmo and Victor have been able to play for Barcelona, with Olmo featuring 13 times, scoring twice and adding four assists, while Victor has made five substitute appearances.
Barcelona’s financial difficulties have been well-documented in recent years, particularly after the club had to sell off various assets and future television rights income to sign players like Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha in 2022. If the current financial situation remains unchanged, Barcelona may find it difficult to make significant signings in the upcoming summer transfer window without first offloading players.
The CSD is expected to deliver a final ruling on the matter before April 7, which will determine the future of Olmo and Victor’s registration.