Barcelona has secured temporary permission to re-register Dani Olmo and Pau Victor for the second half of the season after appealing to Spain’s national sports council (CSD).
During the first half of the campaign, Barcelona was able to meet La Liga’s salary regulations through a temporary loophole related to Andreas Christensen’s injury absence. However, this was never a permanent solution, and the registrations for Olmo and Victor expired on December 31, 2024. Barcelona had raised €100m (£83m) by selling VIP boxes in the ongoing Camp Nou renovations, which would have allowed them to return to 1:1 spending rules for the next season. Unfortunately, the necessary paperwork was submitted too late for Olmo and Victor.
Players cannot be registered twice in the same season by the same club, leaving the situation particularly dire when the registrations expired, especially after La Liga and Spain’s football federation (RFEF) rejected Barcelona’s attempts to resolve the issue.
A legal challenge in a local court had already failed, but Barcelona took the case to the national sports council, which has now granted a temporary license for Olmo and Victor to be re-registered until the final appeal is resolved.
A statement from the CSD explained: “This provisional measure suspends [La Liga and RFEF’s decision], and the cancellation of the sports licenses of the aforementioned players. It also maintains the validity of said licenses until this appeal is finally resolved.”
While this isn’t a complete victory for Barcelona, it’s still a significant outcome in the circumstances. Much of the recent focus has been on Olmo, who was signed for €60m last summer. He had the right to terminate his contract, receive full payment, and leave as a free agent, but his patience and loyalty to the club allowed them to resolve the issue without further complications.
