It is official: LaLiga and RFEF (Spanish Football Federation) won't allow the registration of Dani Olmo and Pau Víctor, meaning they won't be able to play anymore at FC Barcelona this season. LaLiga issued an statement, giving good and bad news to Barça: they agree that Barcelona has achieved the "1:1 rule", meaning they would be allowed to make new signings in the summer, or even today in the winter transfer market. But they wouldn't be allowed to register Olmo and Víctor, because, their licences were already cancelled this season (on January 1st).
In other words: Barça needed money desperately so they would comply with Liga's "financial fair play rules". But that money, 28 million euros from Middle-East investors in advance from the sale of VIP balconies of the new Spotify Camp Nou, didn't arrive on time to renew Olmo and Víctor's registrations, which were originally signed only until December 31st, 2024 because the club didn't have enough money then.
According to their official statement, LaLiga do not "grant the prior visa or the definitive license requested by FC Barcelona for the players Mr. Daniel Olmo Carvajal and Mr. Pau Víctor Delgado in accordance with the literal interpretation of articles 130.2 and 141.5 of the General Regulations of the RFEF which prevent a player whose license is cancelled from obtaining a license in the same club team to which he was already linked during the same season".
This is a hard blow for the club, particularly for the players, who despite their desire to play in Barcelona, they are not allowed to play because of the disastrous management of club president Joan Laporta, who in four years has "decapitalised the club, selling off strategic assets for the future to cover holes resulting from chaotic and improvised management", according to opposing voices who ask for his resignation.
This isn't game over for Barcelona, who will now go to go to the courts and ask for a precautionary measure to the Administrative Court of Sport in Spain, hoping to get a favourable sentence that Liga and RFEF would be forced to comply. The soap opera will continue on Tuesday, as Monday is red day in Spain.