Dani Olmo and Pau Victor will retain their licences until at least the end of the season
Dani Olmo, photo – Getty Images
Spain's Supreme Sports Council (CSD) has decided to retain the licences of Barcelona players Dani Olmo and Pau Victor until the end of the season.
In doing so, the Catalan club won a dispute with La Liga, which had previously not recognised Barcelona's financial transaction to sell the VIP boxes at the Camp Nou stadium to Arab investors, allowing the club to register the players in question, and deducted 100 million euros from the club's salary cap.
The CSD ruled:
“The agreement adopted by the RFEF-La Liga Coordinating Council Monitoring Committee has no legal force, since this body does not have the authority to refuse to issue a preliminary visa and license 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.