Barcelona Faces Major Setback as Court Blocks Dani Olmo's Registration Extension

A Spanish court has rejected FC Barcelona's request to extend the registration of their star midfielder, Dani Olmo, beyond December 31.

This decision potentially paves the way for Olmo's departure from the Catalan club on a free transfer.

Dani Olmo, who joined Barcelona from Bundesliga side RB Leipzig last summer for a reported fee of 60 million euros, finds himself at the center of a financial conundrum.

The club, already burdened with substantial debt, had initially managed to register Olmo by utilizing 80 percent of injured defender Andreas Christensen’s salary cap.

This was made possible through an exception in La Liga rules that allows clubs to replace long-term absentees.

However, Barcelona's attempt to extend Olmo's registration until June 30, 2025, was thwarted when the court ruled against them.

"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," the court stated in its ruling.

The rejection of Barcelona's appeal underscores the stringent financial regulations imposed by La Liga, which apply equally to all teams to maintain competitive balance.

A spokesperson for La Liga remarked, "We welcome that no exception was made which could otherwise seriously alter the equality of conditions of the competition."

Olmo's potential exit would be a considerable blow to Barcelona, who are currently third in the league standings, trailing leaders Atletico Madrid by three points and second-placed Real Madrid by two, having played one more game than both rivals.

The club now faces the challenge of either appealing the court's decision or exploring alternative strategies to retain Olmo, such as further legal action or generating extraordinary income through means like selling VIP seat packages for the future expanded Camp Nou.