This saga began in the summer of 2024 when Barca signed Pau Victor from Girona for $2.6 million and Dani Olmo from RB Leipzig for $62.5 million. However, due to exceeding La Liga's spending limits, they could only temporarily register the two players until the end of 2024, taking advantage of a rule that allows for replacements in case of long-term injuries, such as those suffered by Andreas Christensen and Ronald Araujo. This provision is outlined in Article 77 of La Liga's financial regulations.
In the final week of 2024, a court rejected Barca's attempt to extend Olmo and Victor's registration. La Liga supported the court's decision and removed the players from the club's official squad list on their website. They also insisted that Barca had "not taken any alternative measures to comply with La Liga's economic control regulations" to register any players from January 2nd onwards.
On January 3rd, in a joint statement with the RFEF, La Liga confirmed that Barca had demonstrated the ability to meet certain financial requirements and was granted an "expanded spending limit." However, La Liga added that players whose registration had been canceled could not be re-registered with the same club in the same season, effectively ruling Olmo and Victor out for the remainder of the campaign.
Barca appealed this decision to the CSD, contesting the interpretation of the rule and submitting a 52-page report to the court outlining their arguments on January 7th. According to ESPN, it could take the CSD up to three months to reach a final verdict.
Dani Olmo (blond hair) with Barca players before the match against Bilbao in the Spanish Super Cup semifinal
In the meantime, both Olmo and Victor are eligible to play for Barca. They missed the 2-0 win over Bilbao in the Spanish Super Cup semi-final at King Abdullah Sports City, Saudi Arabia, on January 8th but could feature in the final on January 12th.
Barca coach Hansi Flick revealed that the team received the CSD's ruling before the Bilbao game and was relieved by the news. "I am really happy for the two players, and also happy for the whole team," said the German coach. "After receiving the information, the whole team was very happy on the bus. It was the right decision, and a good signal before the game."
