FC Barcelona is facing a serious registration issue with Dani Olmo, as the 26-year-old midfielder will not be able to compete in any official competition starting January 1st unless the club resolves his registration before the end of this year.
This situation, caused by the club’s financial Fair Play issues, has thrown a wrench in Barcelona’s plans for the remainder of the 2024-2025 season.
Contrary to previous expectations, the registration issue does not only affect Dani Olmo’s eligibility for La Liga matches, but also rules him out of all other competitions Barcelona is involved in, including the Copa del Rey, Supercopa de España, and the UEFA Champions League.
The problem stems from the fact that FC Barcelona only processed Olmo’s registration with La Liga and failed to submit the necessary documentation to the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF). Due to this, despite having been signed from RB Leipzig, Olmo’s registration with La Liga does not grant him a license to compete in any official capacity, either in domestic cup competitions or European fixtures.
This oversight also impacts Barcelona’s participation in European tournaments. If Olmo had been registered with the RFEF but not La Liga, he would still be eligible for Champions League matches. However, since the opposite is true, he is ineligible for the upcoming Champions League fixtures against Benfica and Atalanta. UEFA processes player registrations through the national federations, and Barcelona’s failure to register him with the RFEF means Olmo is effectively sidelined for all of Barcelona’s upcoming international matches.
Barcelona is now racing against the clock to resolve this issue. With the transfer window opening on January 1st, the club is under immense pressure to find a solution before the deadline. They had hoped for a favorable ruling from the Commercial Court No. 10 in Barcelona, which could have allowed for a precautionary measure to temporarily resolve the matter. However, the court ruled against Barcelona’s interests, and now all eyes are on the First Instance Court of Catalonia, which is expected to make a ruling by Monday, December 30th. If the court denies the club’s request, Barcelona will be forced to pay the necessary fees to La Liga in order to finalize Olmo’s registration.
As FC Barcelona continues to navigate these complications, the club’s short-term future may depend on a favorable judicial ruling, with Dani Olmo remaining unavailable unless the matter is resolved swiftly.
