LaLiga strikes Barça: bad news about their 'fair play' and the registration of Dani Olmo and Pau Víctor

Bad news for FC Barcelona and their plans to improve their situation regarding financial 'fair play'. LaLiga issued a harsh informational note this Wednesday announcing that the corporate operation related to the VIP Boxes of Spotify Camp Nou, announced at the end of last December and which allowed the blue and claret team to increase their Sports Payroll Cost Limit (LCPD) —thus providing room for the registration of Dani Olmo and Pau Víctor— is now null and void.

As a consequence, the Barcelona team loses the €100 million that were accounted for this operation, exceeding the financial 'fair play' limit again and jeopardizing the registration of Dani Olmo and Pau Víctor.

🚨 INFORMATIVE NOTE

Regarding the corporate operation related to VIP Boxes communicated to LALIGA by FC Barcelona at the end of last December.

— LALIGA Corporativo (@LaLigaCorp) April 2, 2025

The entity presided over by Javier Tebas, in its informative note, wanted to clarify the reasons behind this decision, which affects the planning of FC Barcelona in its attempt to improve its financial situation. To this end, it detailed nine points that explain the case with total clarity.

LaLiga wanted to clarify the following in its informative note:

1️⃣ As has been made public, LALIGA, in accordance with the Budget Preparation Regulation (NEP), completed receiving the corresponding documentation for this corporate operation on January 3, 2025. 

Among this documentation, a certificate issued by the new auditor of the Club, appointed on December 31, 2024, was provided, in which it was acknowledged that this operation was correctly accounted for as income in the Club's Profit and Loss account for the current season, as certified by the Club itself to LALIGA. This documentation was necessary and essential to validate the aforementioned accounting; without these certificates, it would not have been possible, as established by the aforementioned NEP.

All of this led LALIGA to increase the Club's Sports Payroll Cost Limit (LCPD) by the amount of the aforementioned operation on January 3, 2025, allowing FC Barcelona the capacity to register players in LALIGA, if permitted by the federation regulations.

2️⃣ On February 14, in light of the information that LALIGA had been able to gather regarding this operation, and in accordance with Article 64.4 of the Sports Law, it deemed it essential and urgent to request the Higher Sports Council (CSD) to carry out a specific control report by the auditors designated by that autonomous body, attaching to that request all the information gathered by LALIGA.

3️⃣ Given the urgency of the request and the lack of response from the CSD, LALIGA reiterated on March 17, 2025, to the CSD the request for the completion of the aforementioned specific control report. LALIGA received communication from the CSD on March 26 stating that the completion of said specific control report is a discretionary action for the CSD, without delving into anything further, implying that it denied the completion of the specific control report.

4️⃣ Subsequently, FC Barcelona submitted, within the deadline established in LALIGA's regulations, the Interim Financial Statements for the first half of the current 2024-2025 season, accompanied by a limited review report signed by Crowe Auditores España, S.L.P., a different auditor from the one who issued the certificate mentioned in point 1 of this note regarding the aforementioned corporate operation. 

Therefore, FC Barcelona has reported to LALIGA having had up to three auditors in the last three months: Grant Thornton, S.L.P, until before December 31, 2024; a different auditor, appointed on December 31, who continued to be so on January 3; and a third auditor, Crowe Auditores España, S.L.P.

5️⃣ In said Interim Financial Statements, the amount of the aforementioned corporate operation is ultimately not recorded in the Profit and Loss account, contrary to what had been certified by the Club and the auditor at the time of the execution of said operation, as explained in point 1 of this Note.

6️⃣ According to the aforementioned Interim Financial Statements, and in application of the NEP, FC Barcelona, with the subscription of said corporate operation, did not have on December 31, 2024, nor on January 3, 2025, nor has it had since that date, nor does it have today any balance or capacity for registration, what is publicly known as 'Fair Play', for the registration of players Dani Olmo and Pau Víctor.

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7️⃣ In application of the NEP, LALIGA has communicated to the Club the reduction of its LCPD by the amount of said corporate operation, in accordance with the Interim Financial Statements submitted.

8️⃣ Likewise, LALIGA communicated to the CSD on March 27 the conclusions regarding 'Fair Play' derived from said Interim Financial Statements, especially the reduction of LCPD communicated to the Club as a consequence of the same, as well as all the previous circumstances, providing in that communication to the CSD the aforementioned Interim Financial Statements of the Club.

9️⃣ Given the described situation, LALIGA informs that it will report to the Institute of Accounting and Auditing (ICAC) the auditor who was appointed by the Club on December 31, 2024, and who certified the accounting of the aforementioned corporate operation in the Club's Profit and Loss account.