FC Barcelona have suffered a new setback in the struggle to register Dani Olmo. Despite meeting the financial requirements, the Spanish Football Federation has refused to license the European champion. The Catalans now want to appeal at the national level.
The saga surrounding the registration of Dani Olmo has taken a new turn. FC Barcelona had failed to register the 2024 European champion for the second half of the season, as it had initially failed to do last summer, because the heavily indebted club was unable to meet the financial requirements of the Spanish league association LFP by the December 31 deadline.
The Blaugrana’s legal action, as well as behind-the-scenes financial deals – including the sale of VIP boxes at the Camp Nou to generate immediate income – also proved unsuccessful. As La Liga announced on New Year’s Day, Olmo will not receive a playing license for this season, nor will substitute Pau Victor.
No playing license despite salary cap increase
The Catalans were not satisfied with this decision and submitted a new application for the 26-year-old to be allowed to play. However, the Control Committee of the Spanish Football Association (RFEF) and the league jointly rejected this application on Saturday as well.
Although the association announced that the club now meets the economic requirements for an increase in the salary cap. This is probably also because proof of the sale of the boxes for around 100 million euros has now been provided.
However, the refusal to license for Olmo and Victor could no longer be reversed. The RFEF regulations prohibit “a player who has had his license withdrawn from obtaining a license for the same team of the club to which he was already affiliated during the course of the season,” the association wrote in its statement. The two players are therefore no longer available to Barca coach Hansi Flick for the current season.
Barcelona will appeal again
But it seems that the registration chaos is not over yet. Immediately after the association’s statement, the Catalans announced that they would appeal against the decision again – to the National Sports Council CSD. The Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo also reported that Barca would appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) or the ordinary courts in the Olmo/Victor case.
Club president Joan Laporta remained confident, saying that he had spoken to Olmo and Victor “to reassure them,” according to the Blaugrana statement. The club announced that it would “not comment further” on the case.
Olmo’s advisor rules out transfer
Olmo returned to his boyhood club from RB Leipzig for €55 million last summer and has made 15 appearances for Barcelona so far. If he is not registered, the 26-year-old could leave on a free transfer and still claim his outstanding salary until the end of his contract in June 2030 – according to Spanish media reports, the Olmo case could cost Barcelona up to €260 million.
However, his agent Andy Bara put a stop to any speculation on Friday. “Barcelona is the first and last option. We are not negotiating with any other club,” Bara made clear. He is confident that Olmo’s club will find a solution.
Flick on Dani Olmo: “We need him”
And Barcelona coach Hansi Flick also believes in a positive outcome to the case. “I have confidence that the club will manage it,” said the former Germany coach after the 4-0 cup win at fourth-tier UD Barbastro, revealing that he had spoken to Olmo on Saturday morning. “Dani wants to play for Barca. We need him and Pau Victor too. They’re very good players,” said the 59-year-old. ‘We’ll have to wait and see. That’s all we can do for now.’
