LaLiga is taking its bitter dispute with Barcelona to court amid the fallout from the cash-strapped Catalans being allowed to register Dani Olmo and Pau Víctor.
Barcelona were finally given the green light to register Olmo for next season following a previous controversial court order that had occurred when they attempted to re-register the former RB Leipzig signing.
Spanish international Olmo joined the Blaugrana for £50m in the summer and Barcelona were forced to get creative in their efforts to make him a journeyman player in Hansi Flick's squad.
What was expected to be an easy re-registration process for Olmo, LaLiga's strict financial laws have hit Barcelona's financial crisis and the club was prevented from extending the registration of Olmo and his teammate Víctor because they had exceeded their allocated salary cap, with the added risk that Olmo could go free if he is not registered.
An ugly affair concluded with the permission of the Higher Sports Council (CSD) to temporarily register both Olmo, a target for several Premier League teams, and Pau Víctor.
However, rival clubs have received harsh criticism for the decision and the League has now launched a legal battle against the CSD ruling.
LaLiga is taking its bitter dispute with Barcelona to court amid the fallout from the cash-strapped Catalans being able to register Dani Olmo (right) and Pau Víctor (left).
Hansi Flick (right) can now include Olmo and Victor in his matchday squads
LaLiga and the Spanish Football Federation had not had the opportunity to respond to the CSD's green light for the resignation of the Catalan duo and now argue that it was wrong to not have had the opportunity to defend its position before the provisional measure was approved.
The exceptional circumstances of the case have led the CSD to defend its sole decision by stating that preventing the registrations of Olmo and Víctor would cause significant damage to the players, Barcelona and even the interests of the Spanish team.
LaLiga tries to counter its position due to the rule of the General Regulations of the RFEF that prohibits the re-registration of a player dropped from a team's roster during the same season.
A possible sanction could make the CSD ruling null and void if LaLiga wins.
Before announcing their success in registering the key duo, Barcelona smiled: “Good news for FC Barcelona. Dani Olmo and Pau Víctor are registered in La Liga and are therefore available to be selected by coach Hansi Flick , also for the final of the Spanish Super Cup on Sunday at 8:00 p.m.,” reads a statement from Barcelona.
On Wednesday, the Higher Sports Council (CSD) announced a court order giving the green light to the two players' game.
Both players will be able to play again in LaLiga after several weeks of uncertainty.
Olmo and Víctor have been included in Barcelona's Super Cup squad despite not being eligible to play, but the two were not named in the starting eleven or among the substitutes for their semi-final against Athletic Club.
Barcelona can register Dani Olmo for the moment after a decision by the Higher Sports Council
Olmo's re-registration was denied due to LaLiga's continued financial limitations on Barcelona
Barcelona has worked tirelessly to get Olmo registered and have a brief respite
Perhaps unsurprisingly, it has proved a controversial decision to allow Barca to register the two stars, with bitter rivals Atlético Madrid quick to criticize the decision, questioning whether it subverts their goal of “fair competition”.
'Atlético de Madrid wants to express its deep concern about the situation of Spanish football following the resolution adopted this Wednesday by the Higher Sports Council. We believe that this decision puts the current system at risk, questioning the rules of the game,' said Los Colchoneros.
'The Sports Law itself includes and protects the economic control of LaLiga, but with this resolution it is put at risk. The economic control of LaLiga has been the main tool that has managed to turn our football into a solvent sector, a process admired internationally.
'Our club, like all LaLiga members until this resolution, has been complying with the economic control rules and will continue to do so. In fact, in order to compete at the level we have been doing in recent years, we have decided to carry out various capital increases, despite the enormous effort that this entails.
'This government intervention creates a very dangerous precedent, as it opens the door to breaking the rules and making the same serious mistakes of the past. Atlético de Madrid continues to focus on rigor and responsible management. Without clear and equal rules for everyone, fair competition is not possible.'
Atlético de Madrid was quick to criticize the decision and suggested that it questions “the rules of the game.”
The decision relieves pressure on Joan Laporta, the president of the Catalan giant
Last week, Barcelona revealed their plans to file a complaint after both LaLiga and the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) rejected their latest attempt to re-register the duo, subsequently taking the matter to court.
The CSD stated that not adopting the precautionary measure “would cause serious economic and sporting damage to the club and, above all, to the players”, in addition to “harming the interests of the Spanish team” and LaLiga.
The CSD verdict also does not mean that Olmo and Víctor are eligible for the rest of the season. Rather, the ruling is an acknowledgment that Barcelona's appeal, which was presented in the form of a 52-page document, has a solid legal basis.
Now, the agency has a period of up to three months to study the case before issuing a final ruling. Meanwhile, Olmo and Víctor will be able to play normally.
However, the saga of Olmo's re-registration may have repercussions in the future.
On Tuesday, Barcelona striker Raphinha warned that the problems surrounding Olmo could deter future transfer targets from joining.
“I can't say otherwise because I would lie otherwise,” Raphinha added.