Barcelona blocked by Spanish league from registering Olmo for the rest of the season

BARCELONA, Spain — The Spanish league said Tuesday that Barcelona has failed to meet Financial Fair Play rules in the latest blow to the club’s hopes of keeping playmaker Dani Olmo.

The league said Barcelona “did not present any alternative” on adhering to the regulations, which was required for the club to “register any player beginning on Jan. 2.”

Barcelona needed to have another financial lever approved by the league in order to register Olmo after a judge ruled against the club on Monday in the second consecutive court setback ahead of the end-of-year deadline.

Without the court’s backing or the league's approval, Olmo's contract can't be registered beyond the end of 2024. The Spain international moved from Leipzig to Barcelona in August.

Barcelona had reportedly reached a deal to sell VIP seats at the renovated Camp Nou stadium for 100 million euros ($104 million). That would reportedly be enough for the club to add Olmo and forward Pau Víctor to the squad.

Spanish media said Barcelona was still hopeful of reaching a deal with the league to have Olmo registered even if it misses the end-of-year deadline.

Each Spanish league club has a salary cap which is calculated based on a series of factors, including revenues, costs and debts. It is proportional to roughly 70% of a club’s revenues.

Barcelona has endured difficulties registering some players recently because of its financial struggles. It has resorted to a series of financial levers in recent years, including the sale of future television rights. The club's financial struggles led to the departure of Lionel Messi in 2021.