Barcelona captain Raphinha has admitted that the club’s inability to register Dani Olmo and Pau Victor for the second half of the season could take a toll on their chances of signing top players in the future.
La Liga unregistered both Olmo and Victory on 1st January, after Barcelona failed to prove that they were compliant with the league’s Fair Play regulations. The Blaugrana went to multiple courts to overturn the decision but none ruled in their favour.
Since Olmo and Victor are no longer officially part of the Barcelona squad, they cannot participate in competitive matches. This means although the pair have travelled to Saudi Arabia for the Supercopa de Espana, Hansi Flick cannot rely on them.
Raphinha Says Registration Failure Could Hurt Barcelona in the Future
Ahead of Barca’s semi-final meeting with Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday (8th January), Raphinha attended the press conference. Unsurprisingly, the Brazilian had to comment on Barca’s registration failure and how might impact their chances of signing players in the future.
The winger said (via ESPN):
“I think it could [compel players to reject a move to Barcelona].
“I can’t say otherwise because I would be lying and that’s not me, I don’t like lying or telling stories. The truth is that if I was at another club and seeing the situation Pau and Dani are in, maybe I would think twice if it was best to be here.”
Barcelona had a hard time registering Raphinha as well. After signing him in 2022, the Blaugrana had to activate multiple ‘levers’, selling club assets, to register the former Leeds United man.
🚨 Raphinha: “The Olmo situation may affect future signings. I can't lie. The truth is that if I were at another club and I saw this situation, I don't know if I’d think it was the right club for me”.
“However, I had to wait until the last moment, and I don't regret anything”. pic.twitter.com/MT6PxpQJrJ
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 7, 2025
“When I came here, before signing, I knew the club’s situation,” Raphinha added.
“I knew a there was a percentage chance of being able to play in this shirt, so I waited until the last moment and I don’t have any regrets.”
He concluded by adding:
“It’s a complicated situation for Dani and Pau. As players, we never want to go through these kind of moments. It’s hard for them, they don’t know if they can play or not.
“It’s a situation that’s pretty difficult and delicate. We hope those in charge of it can resolve it as quickly as possible so they can play with us again.”
Olmo has a clause in his contract that permits him to leave Barcelona for free if they fail to register him. So far, the Spaniard and his agent have not entertained the idea. But the situation could change if the issue persists.
