- Dani Olmo and Pau Víctor will remain eligible to play for Barcelona until the end of the season
- The Spanish Higher Sports Council has ruled in favour of the players despite La Liga’s objections
- Dispute stemmed from a €100M VIP box sale that La Liga questions due to audit inconsistencies
Key Takeaways:
Barcelona players Dani Olmo and Pau Víctor will be allowed to complete the current campaign in Spain, as their registrations remain valid until the summer. This resolution came from the Spanish Higher Sports Council (CSD), following a drawn-out dispute between La Liga and the Catalan club.
La Liga had previously argued that the two players had been registered improperly, claiming the club provided inaccurate financial information. According to league rules, Barcelona needed to secure sufficient income to clear its debts before being permitted to increase their salary cap and register additional players.
🚨 OFFICIAL: CSD agree with Barcelona stance stance. Dani Olmo and Pau Victor will stay registered at least until the end of this season. pic.twitter.com/nCfa9sSgZ6
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) April 3, 2025
To resolve the financial shortfall, Barcelona announced on January 16 the sale of 475 VIP seats—amounting to 5% of the stadium’s total—to various investors from the Middle East. The long-term agreement spans up to 30 years. Although the club stated that full details would remain confidential, unofficial reports placed the transaction’s value at €100 million. That income, La Liga said at the time, would allow the club to return to the 1:1 spending rule—where they can only spend what they earn.
Yet, questions have been raised about the transparency and legitimacy of the transaction. The €100 million deal was approved by an anonymous auditor registered with the Spanish Institute of Accounting and Auditing. However, this individual was not affiliated with Grant Thornton—Barcelona’s previous official auditor—nor with the Spanish branch of auditing firm Crowe. Spanish media report that La Liga does not recognise financial operations that are not formally validated by external auditors from the Spanish institute, further fuelling the league’s resistance to accepting the deal.
Despite these concerns, the CSD sided with the club and players, ensuring Olmo and Pau Víctor’s eligibility to play through the remainder of the season.