A Spanish court has rejected the club’s request to register midfielder Dani Olmo beyond the end of this year, potentially bringing the player closer to leaving the club.
Olmo, who joined Barcelona last summer from RB Leipzig for an estimated 60 million euros, has faced registration difficulties due to La Liga’s strict financial rules.
Barcelona, already struggling with massive debts, had initially registered Olmo to play until December 31, 2024, by using a special exception. This exception allowed the club to replace injured players, such as defender Andreas Christensen, by covering 80% of his wages.
However, the club’s request to extend Olmo’s registration through the end of the season was recently rejected by La Liga.
In response, Barcelona took the matter to court, arguing that the decision was unfair and sought to extend Olmo’s registration until June 30, 2025. On Monday, a Barcelona commercial court ruled against the club, stating that the conditions for allowing the registration were not met.
The court explained, “The aim of authorising the overspend is so that a long-term injury does not undermine the team’s competition, not so that the long-term injury allows the registration of players who exceed the limit with their salary.”
As a result, Olmo’s registration cannot be extended for the remainder of the season, with the court noting that his contract would expire on December 31, 2024. It also mentioned that Olmo’s contract includes a clause that would allow him to leave if he cannot be registered.
While Barcelona is still able to appeal this ruling, they face a difficult situation. The club may look for alternative solutions, such as taking further legal action or securing registration through personal guarantees from board members or even selling VIP packages for the upcoming Camp Nou expansion.
The rejection comes at a time when Barcelona’s on-field performance has been under pressure. The team, currently sitting in third place in the La Liga standings, is struggling to maintain its early lead in the title race, trailing leaders Atletico Madrid by three points and Real Madrid by two. The potential departure of Olmo could weaken their squad further, complicating their chances of securing top honors this season.
