According to the football governing body, the CSD does not have the authority to issue new licences to footballers
Javier Tebas, photo – Getty Images
La Liga has issued a public statement sharply criticising today's decision by Spain's Supreme Sports Council (CSD) to keep Barcelona players Dani Olmo and Pau Victor's licences until the end of the season.
According to the football organization, this decision does not comply with the law and is generally outside the competence of the CSD. La Liga intends to appeal the Council's verdict in the courts of general jurisdiction.
“It should be recalled that the two players' licences expire automatically on 31 December 2024, at the end of the term agreed between the players and the club. Therefore, in no case is a federal act of annulment required. The agreements adopted by the RFEF-LALIGA Agreement Monitoring Committee on 4 January 2025 limited themselves to confirming the legal impossibility of issuing new licences, thus confirming the literal application of the federation's regulations. This aspect falls within the competence of the commission. The competence of the CSD in matters of licences is limited to reviewing acts of issuance or refusal to issue them, but not to their annulment or extension.”
“The decision of the Monitoring Committee did not replace the decisions previously taken by the competent bodies of LALIGA and RFEF. The Monitoring Committee did not reject the applications of FC Barcelona, but confirmed the refusal to issue a previous visa made through the LALIGA Manager system.”
“The CSD resolution ignores the consolidated administrative and judicial doctrine that the nullity of a total nullity must be obvious. Sports legislation does not assign competence in matters of preliminary visas and the issuance of licenses to any of the bodies of the professional leagues and sports federations in Spain, and the CSD resolution does not mention which internal body, LALIGA or RFEF, would be competent.”
The organisation, led by Javier Tebas, also criticises the CSD's uneven approach to decision-making deadlines:
“The CSD issued its ruling almost three months after the appeal had been lodged, that is to say, after the maximum period established by law had been exhausted, and during all this time it had not examined the request for urgent lifting of the preventive measure adopted on 8 January 2025, formulated by LALIGA with the statement of claims filed on 22 January. This delay contrasts with the extraordinary speed with which the preventive measures requested by FC Barcelona and its players were adopted in just 24 hours and without a prior hearing by LALIGA and the RFEF, which violates the principles of contradiction and protection.”
Let us recall that today, thanks to the CSD decision, Barcelona won a dispute with La Liga, which had previously not recognized Barcelona's financial transaction to sell the VIP boxes of the Camp Nou stadium to Arab investors, which allowed the club to register the aforementioned players, and deducted 100 million euros from the club's salary cap.
The CSD ruled that the agreement adopted by the RFEF-La Liga Coordination Agreement Monitoring Committee “has no legal force, since this body does not have the power to refuse to issue a preliminary visa and licence to the federation.”
As a reminder, on April 2, La Liga reported that the previous auditor of the Catalan club, who began working with it on December 31, 2024, provided information that the corresponding financial transaction for the sale of VIP boxes at the Camp Nou stadium was correctly recorded in the financial statements as club income. Following this, La Liga increased the club's limit on the wage fund on January 3, 2025.
The League's decision to deduct €100 million from Barcelona's salary cap could return the club to a situation of economic imbalance and make it more difficult for it to sign new players or extend contracts with existing players.
La Liga has also lodged a formal complaint with the International Accounting and Auditing Institute (ICAC) against the auditor Barcelona hired on December 31 last year, who included the transaction in the club's profit and loss statement.
Let us recall that in January the situation with the registration of Olmo and Victor for the second part of the season was resolved positively for Blaugrana. Although La Liga and the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) refused to register Barcelona's players for the second part of the season, the CSD subsequently sided with the club. That decision, however, was temporary – the League and the Federation were given up to three months to familiarize the Council with their arguments before making a final verdict. La Liga then, in January, came forward with the intention of filing an appeal.
Barcelona lead La Liga, three points clear of second-placed Real Madrid. Hans-Dieter Flick's side are also in the Champions League, where they will face Borussia Dortmund in the quarter-finals.
Yesterday, the Blue Garnets beat Atletico away (1:0) and reached the final of the Spanish Cup, where their opponent will be Real. On April 5, Barcelona will host Betis in the 30th round of the championship.