Barcelona suffered another setback Monday as their latest appeal to secure Dani Olmo’s precautionary registration for the remainder of the season was denied, just one day before the deadline to register the Spanish international.
The Catalan club signed Olmo in August for approximately 55 million euros ($57.22 million). However, due to La Liga's strict wage cap, the attacking midfielder was only eligible to play during the first half of the season.
With the four-month registration period nearing its end, Barcelona faces the prospect of losing a key player unless alternative measures are taken.
The club managed to register Olmo after long-term injuries sidelined several first-team players for months, allowing Barcelona to allocate a portion of their wages to register the 26-year-old, along with forward Pau Victor.
On Friday, Commercial Court No. 10 of Barcelona rejected the club's request to provisionally register Olmo, and the Court of First Instance No. 47 of Barcelona upheld that ruling Monday.
According to La Liga, the court rejected the precautionary registration of Olmo, stating that none of the necessary prerequisites for adopting the precautionary measure were met.
LaLiga also defended the authority of its Delegate Commission to approve budgeting rules, noting that no club, including Barcelona, has ever questioned this process.
The initial decision to not register Olmo was made by La Liga's Budget Validation Body. That decision was upheld in three separate appeals by La Liga’s Financial Fair Play Committee, its Social Appeals Committee, and the UEFA Second Instance Licensing Committee of the Spanish Football Federation.
Barcelona then pursued legal action but now face a race against time to devise an alternative solution.
Spanish media reports suggest Barcelona are planning to use revenue from the sale of VIP boxes at the Camp Nou, which could generate over 100 million euros, pending LaLiga's approval. Reuters has contacted the club for comment.
Barcelona are third in the La Liga standings, three points behind leaders Atletico Madrid. Their next game is a Copa del Rey round-of-32 match at fourth-tier Barbastro on Saturday.
