By 90min | Created at 2025-01-09 12:12:38 | Updated at 2025-01-09 21:55:54
9 hours ago
Barcelona coach Hansi Flick hinted at a rapturous reaction from the squad when news came through on Wednesday night that Dani Olmo and Pau Victor have been granted temporary registration for the second half of the season.
The squad found out en route to the King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah for their Supercopa de Espana semi-final against Athletic Club.
Having been told by La Liga and RFEF that it wouldn't be possible to re-register Olmo and Victor for the second half of the season after the pair's short-term registration expired on 31 December, an appeal through a local court failed, leaving a last-ditch appeal to Spain's national sports council.
It has not completely resolved the issue. But Barcelona, having missed the deadline to secure the registration by a matter of days after raising the last of the funds they needed to return to 1:1 spending rules, have received permission for temporary registration until a final appeal verdict.
"The news arrived on the bus, you should see how the news was received. We are a team and we wanted to win for Dani Olmo and Pau Victor, but also for the team," Flick said after beating Athletic Club.
"[Olmo and Victor] are happy. For us, it was a good sign before the game. We wanted to show that we are a team.”
It means that both can now resume playing after being ineligible to face either Barbastro in the Copa del Rey, or Athletic Club in the Supercopa. The players are with the rest of the squad in Saudi Arabia – Barcelona took them in hope of a decision – and could feasibly be able to play in Sunday's final.
Hansi Flick revealed the Barcelona squad are delighted / Pedro Salado/GettyImages
There had been particular concern over Olmo. The €60m summer signing was determined to stay at Barcelona, but he was within his rights to terminate his contract and move on as a free agent, all the while getting the full value of the deal paid and the club still liable for the outstanding transfer fee.
RFEF president Rafael Louzan reacted diplomatically to the sports council's decision allowing Barcelona to circumvent the football federation's hard rejection.
"It is true that news is news and this is important, it affects two players and a great club like Barcelona. We must respect the decisions of an institution like the CSD," he told Movistar.
"We cannot enter into an assessment because we learned here at the stadium [in Saudi Arabia] of the decision of the injunction and when we can learn in depth what has been communicated by this body we will make an assessment that La Liga will also have to make. We have complied with what was established, there is a regulation that was also approved by the CSD at the time."
