Barcelona's transfer strategies are facing significant obstacles following a decision by LaLiga that might bring severe repercussions for the team.
The governing body of Spain's top football league has determined that Barcelona improperly registered Dani Olmo and Pau FC, indicating that the club continues to violate Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations.
A €100 million agreement for VIP seals, essential for enrolling Olmo and Pau Victor in January, was omitted from the club’s most recent financial statements.
La Liga has issued a nine-point statement condemning the club and its auditors, putting Barcelona at risk of encountering a substantial financial deficit.
This obstacle disrupts Barcelona's strategy for making high-profile transfers, with potential signings such as Lionel Messi and Neymar being part of their considerations.
The club has been aiming to stay competitive with rivals Real Madrid, but those aspirations have been put on pause for now.
Barcelona has a track record of managing financial difficulties and has seen success with their free-agent acquisitions. They plan to sign Jonathan Tah from Bayer Leverkusen, yet the possibility of bringing back Messi appears increasingly unlikely.
Reports indicated that Barcelona intended to reintroduce Messi at the launch of the refurbished Camp Nou; however, this plan has become questionable.
Here is the complete statement from La Liga regarding Barcelona’s circumstances.
Regarding the multiple reports about the company operations concerning VIP boxes that were submitted to LALIGA by FC Barcelona at the close of December 2024, and considering LALIGA’s duty to uphold Financial Fair Play rules along with examining all associated documents and financial activities, LALIGA wishes to provide clarification on the matter as follows:
1.- According to what has been disclosed, LALIGA obtained the relevant documents pertaining to this business transaction as per the Budget Preparation Regulations (NEP) on January 3, 2025.
In the provided documents, an audit certificate from the club’s newly appointed auditor, effective December 31, 2024, was included. This certificate verified that the transaction had been correctly recorded as revenue in the club's current-season Profit and Loss statement, consistent with what the club had earlier reported to LALIGA. Such documentation was crucial for validating the financial records, and without this certification, compliance with the specified NEP requirements could not have been achieved.
As a result, LALIGA raised FC Barcelona’s Squad Cost Limit (LCPD) by an amount equivalent to the corporate deal made on January 3, 2025. This adjustment enables the club to register new players with LALIGA, provided they comply with the federation's regulations.
2.- On February 14, after obtaining relevant details about this transaction from LALIGA and following Article 64.4 of the Sports Law, it became imperative and urgent to seek a specific audit report from the National Sports Council (CSD). This action required input from auditors designated by the council. LALIGA provided all collected data as part of their submission.
3.- Given the pressing nature of the issue and the absence of a reply from the CSD, LALIGA restated their request to the CSD regarding the finalization of the mentioned audit report on March 17, 2025. On March 26, LALIGA got an acknowledgment from the CSD indicating that carrying out this audit report fell under their discretion but provided no additional details, essentially rejecting the plea.
4.- Following this, FC Barcelona delivered the Provisional Financial Statements for the first half of the 2024–2025 season to LALIGA within the specified timeframe. These statements were supported by a restricted audit report provided by Crowe Auditores España, S.L.P., which was conducted by an auditor distinct from the one mentioned in point 1 who had previously certified them.
Hence, FC Barcelona has informed LALIGA about three different auditors over the past three months: first was Grant Thornton, S.L.P., effective until December 31, 2024; then a second one was appointed on December 31 but stayed only until January 3; and most recently, Crowe Auditores España, S.L.P. took over as the new auditor.
5.- The interim financial statements do not incorporate the company’s transactions into the profit and loss statement, which contradicts previous certifications provided by the club and its auditor during the time of the transaction, as outlined in point 1.
6.- As stated in the cited Interim Financial Statements and adhering to the requirements set forth by the NEP, FC Barcelona lacked, up until December 31, 2024, or even January 3, 2025, and still lacks today, any available 'Fair Play' financial buffer necessary for registering the players Dani Olmo and Pau Víctor.
7.- As per the NEP, LALIGA has notified the Club that their LCPD has decreased by an amount equivalent to the corporate transaction, as detailed in the provided Interim Financial Statements.
8.- Similarly, on March 27, LALIGA informed the CSD about the outcomes related to Fair Play from the aforementioned Interim Financial Statements, notably including the decrease in the LCPD reported to the club due to these findings, along with providing the CSD access to those interim financial statements.
9.- Given the circumstances described earlier, LALIGA has decided to formally lodge a complaint with the Institute of Accounting and Audit Control (ICAC) regarding the auditor selected by the club as of December 31, 2024. This auditor approved the financial records related to the mentioned business transaction included in the club’s income statement.