Coach Hansi Flick can breathe a sigh of relief after the day-long struggle for the right to play for European champion Dani Olmo.
The Supreme Sports Council of Spain, Consejo Superior de Deportes (CSD), Olmo and his Spanish compatriot Pau Víctor were initially granted registration. Both are therefore allowed to play for FC Barcelona until a final decision is made, which could take months.
The CSD will now accept the arguments of LaLiga and listen to the association regarding the denial of a new license for both players in order to make a final decision. In the meantime, Olmo and Víctor can play again.
This also applies to the final of the Spanish Supercopa this Sunday against Real Madrid or RCD Mallorca. Both were still without permission to play in the semi-final on Wednesday evening against Athletic Bilbao (2-0). The reason for the constant headlines surrounding Olmo over the last two weeks is the Catalans’ financial problems.
VIP boxes sold
FC Barcelona is heavily in debt and was initially unable to present the league with an alternative to meet the conditions for Olmo’s registration. The Catalans also failed in their attempt to force registration in court.
The sale of VIP boxes in the modernized Camp Nou stadium, where the team has not yet played again, ultimately brought about the breakthrough. An investment fund from the Arab region is said to have paid 100 million euros for it, but Barcelona was initially unable to show the full amount.
Olmo’s departure would have been expensive
Even before the decision, coach Hansi Flick had emphasized that “Trust in the club and everyone involved“To be honest, he and the team are not happy with the situation either.
At least the club bosses are spared from having to dig deep into their pockets for practically nothing. According to Spanish reports, a free transfer for Olmo if he failed to register could have cost the club over 260 million euros. When he moved from RB Leipzig to FC Barcelona for 55 million, Olmo signed a contract until the end of June 2030 and was entitled to his salary until then.