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La Liga has stated that Barcelona lacks the financial capacity to register forwards Dani Olmo and Pau Victor.
The Catalan club initially received temporary licenses from La Liga last summer to register both players. However, their registrations were revoked in January after Barcelona failed to demonstrate compliance with the league's financial regulations by the December 31 deadline.
Following an appeal, Spain's sports council (CSD) granted Barcelona temporary permission to reinstate Olmo and Victor, with a final decision on their registrations expected by April 7.
In an effort to address their financial situation, Barcelona announced on January 3 that they had secured a deal to sell VIP boxes at the Nou Camp, which is undergoing renovations, aiming to raise €100 million (£83 million). However, La Liga claims this transaction was not reflected in the financial accounts submitted by Barcelona for the 2024-25 season. Additionally, the deal was reportedly approved by a different, unnamed auditor.
La Liga issued a statement asserting that the club did not have the financial fair play capacity to register Olmo and Victor as of December 31, 2024, January 3, 2025, or at any point since. The league also revealed plans to report the auditor involved in Barcelona's financial certification to the Accounting and Auditing Institute.
Barcelona president Joan Laporta responded by calling La Liga's statement an attempt to tarnish the club's image and undermine its interests. He vowed that Barcelona's legal team would respond firmly and criticized the timing of the letter, as it came just before their Copa del Rey semi-final second leg against Atletico Madrid.
Laporta insisted that the registrations of Olmo and Pau Victor were carried out correctly, in accordance with all requirements set by the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) and La Liga.
Olmo, 26, joined Barcelona from RB Leipzig in a £52 million transfer last summer and has made 28 appearances this season, including 13 since the CSD's ruling. Victor, 23, a product of Barcelona's academy, has featured in 22 matches this season, five of them after the ruling.
