In what will come as a major relief for FC Barcelona fans, there will be no repeat of the ‘Dani Olmo case’ this year on 31 December with goalkeeper Joan Garcia, reports Mundo Deportivo.
The former Espanyol goalkeeper, who signed for Barcelona in the summer transfer window, is registered for the entire 2025/26 season through Marc-Andre ter Stegen’s long-term injury, the report clarifies.
No Olmo case
Therefore, there will be no end-of-year situation like 31 December 2024, when Barcelona had to seek income sources in order to achieve the 1:1 rule that would allow them to register Dani Olmo from 1 January 2025.
After all, the Spanish playmaker’s registration, secured from Andreas Christensen’s long-term injury, expired on 31 December 2024.
After a to-and-fro between La Liga and Barcelona, a provisional measure from the Higher Sports Council (CSD) in January then allowed Olmo to be registered, a decision that was ratified in early April.
Situation handled with Garcia
In this case, Joan Garcia and Barcelona can celebrate the end of the year calmly because, according to Article 107 of La Liga’s Budget Regulations, Ter Stegen’s absence is equal to or greater than five months.
Joan Garcia, FC Barcelona player
Joan Garcia is a key player for Barcelona. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
This also allows the club to use 80 percent of the German goalkeeper’s salary for Garcia’s registration. That is approximately €9.6 million of the €12 million earned by the German.
If the absence determined by the Medical Commission for Ter Stegen had been a maximum of four months, then Joan Garcia’s licence would indeed expire on 31 December, as Barcelona would only be able to use 50 percent of the German’s salary.
However, these timelines also mean that Ter Stegen will not be able to play, even though he remains registered despite the injury as permitted by La Liga regulations, until the five-month absence period is completed.
Otherwise, Barcelona would risk a sanction involving a fine that would affect their financial control. The fine would be three times the amount being used due to the German’s injury, which would total around €29 million.
Once the period is completed, Hansi Flick could count on all three of his goalkeepers, including Wojciech Szczesny.