This week, La Liga revealed that Barcelona does not have the financial fair play capacity to sign players Dani Olmo and Pau Victor, further underscoring the club’s financial difficulties. The Catalan giants were forced to negotiate a difficult scenario ahead of important matches since, according to La Liga’s statement, they were in no better condition today than they were in December 2024.
The disagreement over Olmo and Pau Victor’s registration stems from a major disagreement over financial fair play rules between FC Barcelona and the Spanish football authorities. Barcelona had already reached an agreement to sell VIP seat licensing at Camp Nou, which is currently undergoing renovations, to Qatari and Emirati corporations for an estimated 100 million euros over 20 years in an effort to comply with these requirements. The club promoted this deal as a means of abiding by the principles of financial fair play.
La Liga asserts, however, that the club’s financial difficulties have worsened because the money received from this VIP arrangement has not been shown in the profit and loss statements as verified throughout the transaction. In their statement, La Liga reaffirmed that Barcelona had not had the funds available to sign Olmo and Pau Victor as of December 31, 2024, and into 2025.
Joan Laporta, the president of FC Barcelona, addressed the media amid the chaos, pointing out a startling coincidence as the team got ready to play Atletico Madrid in a pivotal Copa del Rey semifinal. “I feel this is not a coincidence; we are playing a significant match against Atlético today,” he said.
Laporta said rivals were trying to undermine the team from the outside. He showed his undying faith in the team’s ability by saying, “Sometimes, it seems that when they cannot beat us on the pitch, they try to do so off it.”
Additionally, La Liga has taken action to voice concerns about the auditor who was in charge of confirming Barcelona’s financial transactions from December 31, 2024, to January 3, 2025. Due to injuries to other team members, such as Danish defender Andreas Christensen, Olmo and Pau Victor were only temporarily registered during this time.
At the end of 2024, Olmo and Pau Victor’s temporary permits came to an end. However, the Spanish Sports Council has given a preliminary rule permitting both players to compete; the council is anticipated to provide a definitive decision by no later than April 7.
