Barcelona coach Hansi Flick hinted at an enthusiastic reaction from the squad when news broke on Wednesday night that Dani Olmo and Pau Victor have been signed up on a temporary basis for the second half of the season.
The squad was unveiled en route to King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah for their Supercopa de Espana semi-final against Athletic Club.
Being was told by La Liga and the RFEF that it would not be possible to re-register Olmo and Victor for the second half of the season after the pair's short-term registration expired on December 31, an appeal from a local court failed, leaving a final appeal to Spain's national sports council.
It has not completely resolved the issue. But Barcelona, having missed the deadline to secure registration by days after raising the last of the funds they needed to return to the 1:1 spending rules, have received permission for temporary registration until the final decision of the appeal.
“The news arrived on the bus, you have to see how the news was received. We are a team and we wanted to win for Dani Olmo and Pau Victor, but also for the team,” said Flick after beating the athletic club.
“(Olmo and Victor) are happy. For us, it was a good sign before the game. We wanted to show that we are a team.”
This means both can now resume play as they are ineligible to face Barbastro in the Copa del Rey or Athletic Club in the Supercup. The players are with the rest of the squad in Saudi Arabia – Barcelona took them in the hope of a decision – and may be able to play in Sunday's final.
There was particular concern for Olmo. The €60 million summer signing was set to stay at Barcelona, but he was within his rights to terminate his contract and continue as a free agent, all the while paying the full value of the deal and the club was still liable for the unpaid transfer. fee.
RFEF president Rafael Louzan reacted diplomatically to the sports council's decision to allow Barcelona to bypass the football federation's harsh rejection.
“It is true that news is news and this is important, it affects two players and a big club like Barcelona. We have to respect the decisions of an institution like CSD,” he said. Movistar.
“We cannot enter into an assessment because we have learned here in the stadium (in Saudi Arabia) the decision of the order and when we learn in depth what has been communicated by this body we will make an assessment that La Liga will also have. to do we have respected what was decided, there is a regulation that was also approved by the CSD at that time”.