New Delhi: 

FC Barcelona has secured a crucial off-field victory, with Spain’s National Sports Council (CSD) ruling that Dani Olmo and Pau Victor are eligible to play for the Catalans for the remainder of the season.

La Liga initially granted Barcelona temporary licenses to register Olmo and Victor last summer but later revoked those licenses, claiming the club failed to demonstrate compliance with the league’s financial regulations by the December 31st deadline.

To overcome the registration issue, Barca even boosted their income by selling VIP seats at the club’s Nou Camp stadium on 3 January to raise 100 million euros in order to meet La Liga’s Financial Fair Play rules to get Olmo and Victor’s registration done.  

La Liga disputed the decision and in a statement released on Wednesday, indicated its intention to appeal. Furthermore, the league announced it had also reduced Barcelona’s wage cap following irregularities in their year-end accounting for the 2024-25 season.

Dani Olmo and Paui Victor are both the products of Barcelona’s famous academy, La Masia. Olmo returned to the club last summer after successful spells with Dinamo Zagreb and RB Leipzig. The Catalans invested £52 million to secure the services of the Spain international, who has since made 28 appearances this season, including 13 since the Spanish National Sports Council’s (CSD) ruling validated his registration.  

Meanwhile, Pau Victor has featured in 22 matches this season, with five appearances since the ruling. Both players have become integral to the squad, highlighting the CSD’s crucial role in their continued contribution to FC Barcelona’s season.

The authority affirmed that the players’ registrations remain valid, and the RFEF also acknowledged this, stating there was no federation resolution agreeing to the cancellation of the licenses and that its decision not to grant a license was “null and void.”

Following an appeal by Barcelona in January, the CSD permitted the temporary registration of the duo. However, La Liga subsequently asserted on Wednesday that the club lacked the financial capacity to register them. The CSD countered this by declaring the agreement between the Spanish top flight and the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) invalid.

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