Olmo And Victor Given Green Light To Finish Season With Barcelona

Spain’s sports council announced on Thursday that Dani Olmo and Pau Victor will be allowed to play for Barcelona until the end of the season following a dispute between the club and La Liga.

La Liga had claimed that Barcelona failed to register Olmo and Victor before the deadline at the end of December, after the temporary licenses they were granted when signing last summer expired.

The players were initially registered on a short-term basis at the start of the campaign, as Barcelona used a financial loophole after defender Andreas Christensen’s injury.

The CSD said the cancellation of the registrations was “null and void”, allowing midfielder Olmo, who joined Barca from RB Leipzig last summer, and young striker Victor to play.

After the CSD’s announcement, La Liga said they would appeal the decision as it was “not in accordance with the law”.

The financially-struggling Catalan giants sold VIP box seats at their under-construction Camp Nou stadium to Middle Eastern investors in order to meet La Liga’s strict financial fair-play requirements for the new licenses.

Barcelona have faced financial challenges for several years and, in 2022, sold off various assets, including parts of the club and future television rights income, to fund the signings of stars like Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha.

Spending in the upcoming summer transfer window will be challenging for Barcelona unless they make prior sales, as La Liga is expected to maintain its current stance on the club’s financial situation.