Barcelona have provisionally won the battle to allow Dani Olmo and Pau Victor to play in the second half of the season after an appeal was lodged with Spain’s National Sports Council (CSD).
Barcelona were only able to meet La Liga’s wage regulations in the first half of the season due to Andreas Christensen’s gap due to injury.
However, it was not a permanent solution and the registrations for Olmo and Victor expired on December 31, 2024. Barcelona have reportedly raised €100m (£83m) by selling VIP boxes at the renovated Camp Nou, which is still being worked on and will allow them to return to 1-1 spending rules next season. But the paperwork was filed too late for Olmo and Victor’s plight.
Players cannot be registered twice by the same club during a season. When the pair were deregistered, the situation looked particularly dire, especially after La Liga and the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) officially rejected Barcelona’s attempts to force it through.
An action in a local court had already failed, but Barcelona have taken the case to the national sports council and have now been given a provisional license to register Olmo and Victor, pending a final ruling on the appeal in due course.
A CSD statement said: “This action, which is provisional pending the final decision on the appeal filed by the club and the above-mentioned players, is suspended.” [La Liga and RFEF’s decision]and the cancellation of the sports licenses of the above-mentioned players.
“In addition, the validity of these licenses will remain in effect until this appeal is finally resolved.”
It’s not a complete victory for the club, but given the circumstances it’s still a win. The headlines in recent weeks have largely focused on Olmo, who was signed last summer for €60 million, and the fact that he would have had the right to terminate his contract, receive full compensation and become a free agent to carry on. Luckily for Barcelona, his loyalty and patience with the club to put things right continued.