LaLiga has said Barcelona do not have the financial capacity to register Dani Olmo and Pau Victor.
Barcelona were granted temporary licences by LaLiga to register both players before the start of the season.
However, their registrations were then revoked in January, after the club failed to prove they were compliant with the league’s financial rules.
After two courts rejected Barcelona’s requests to register Olmo and Victor, they turned to Spain’s sports council (CSD), which upheld the club’s appeal and allowed them to temporarily reinstate the players.
The three-month period for the provisional measure allowing them to play ends on Monday, when a final decision is expected to be announced by Spanish authorities.
In a bid to ease their financial struggles, the LaLiga leaders also announced a deal in early January to sell VIP boxes at Camp Nou, which is being renovated, for €100million.
However, LaLiga says the deal was not recorded in the accounts submitted by Barcelona last week to cover the 2024-25 season, also claiming the Blaugrana are no closer to being able to register Olmo and Victor.
“Barcelona did not have on December 31, 2024, or on January 3, 2025, nor has it had since that date, nor does it currently have [the financial fair play capacity] for the registration of the players Dani Olmo and Pau Victor,” a statement from LaLiga read.
In response, Barcelona president Joan Laporta told reporters he was frustrated by the timing of LaLiga’s statement, which was issued ahead of Wednesday’s Copa del Rey semi-final second leg against Atletico Madrid, and claimed it was “an attempt to damage the club’s image”.
“We’re playing a key match tonight, and LaLiga is communicating this morning. Strange!” he said. “They can’t beat us on the pitch, so they act off it.
“Of course, the club will respond through its legal services, which are analysing LaLiga’s letter in depth. We will respond as forcefully as necessary.
“They want to attack our interests. LaLiga approved the signings of Pau Victor and Olmo, and now they’ve changed their minds.
“Why? Did they do a bad job in the first place when they approved the operations?
“Three months ago, I said that Olmo and Pau Victor’s registrations had been carried out correctly, following each and every one of the requirements demanded by the RFEF [Spanish Football Federation] and LaLiga, and this is still the case.”
Olmo, who arrived from RB Leipzig last August for €60m, has made 28 appearances for Barcelona in all competitions, scoring eight goals and adding five assists, though he is currently out with an adductor injury. Victor, meanwhile, has played 22 times this season.
