Barcelona have preached calm over the registration of Dani Olmo and Pau Victor, but more than a few are beginning to believe they have overplayed their hand after La Liga deregistered both players on their website.
However, their briefing to the local press is that they remain confident that both can register and play in the second half of the season. They hoped La Liga would approve the sale of €100 million worth of VIP seats at the Camp Nou for the next 20 years and the deal would count towards their salary cap. Yet La Liga first wanted payment guarantees, says Sport.
Their information is that there will be further developments on January 3, when all payments will have been received, and that in theory they will be back within their salary cap. MD notes that the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) cannot approve a new license without the approval of La Liga, something that has yet to happen despite Barcelona having applied for a new license. El Chiringuito relays similar information, saying that Barcelona has submitted all the necessary documents and that only La Liga's request for more information is behind the delay.
It will certainly be a nervous wait for Barcelona. La Liga's statement that Barcelona have not presented any new evidence that would allow them to register contradicts that information. If Olmo and Victor remain unregistered, they will be unable to play for the rest of the season, an event being talked about as the possible end of President Joan Laporta's term.