Olmo crisis leaves Barcelona again mired in ‘uncertainty’

As of January 1, his name – along with the lesser-known Pau Víctor – was removed from Barcelona’s official list of 33 registered players approved by La Liga, the governing body led by Javier Tebas.

The £51m summer signing – and Euro 2024 winner with Spain – was registered as a special exemption only for the first half of the season because Barcelona’s difficult financial situation could not meet La Liga’s stringent wage cap restrictions.

He has scored six goals in 15 appearances this season but, as it stands, won’t be able to play for the club again this season after a court twice rejected Barca’s appeal to register the player on a second temporary basis.

According to La Liga, the court rejected the precautionary registration of Olmo after “none of the conditions necessary for the adoption of the precautionary measure were met”.

This dramatic move marks the culmination of a confusing time at the Catalan club after they failed to provide any viable solution to register new players before the league’s December 31 deadline.

The tension within the club’s offices escalated on Friday as it became clear that their plan to secure the legal documentation for Olmo and Víctor had unravelled, creating what has to be considered a full-blown scandal.

Barcelona remain confident the issue will be sorted but, for now, they are left with a big asset left on the sidelines.

Why can’t Olmo play for Barcelona?
This crisis encompasses sporting, financial, and reputational dimensions.

On the pitch, Hansi Flick’s squad now faces the prospect of losing their marquee summer signing – an asset who could soon walk away for free.

Financially, Barcelona has to pay the full 48 million euros (£40m) to RB Leipzig for Olmo, with his long-term contract running