Barcelona have been hit with a fresh FFP blow after La Liga issued a statement on Wednesday in [regards to the club’s sale of VIP boxes](https://www.barcablaugranes.com/2024/12/28/24330853/barcelona-set-to-register-dani-olmo-after-clinching-multi-million-euro-deal).
The Catalans announced the deal in the winter which would bring in a financial injection of €100m and allow the club to register Dani Olmo and Pau Victor.
However, La Liga says the deal has not been included in the club’s latest audited accounts which means Barca once again don’t have room to register Dani Olmo and Pau Víctor.
Here’s the statement in full:
“In light of the various reports published regarding the corporate transaction related to VIP Boxes, which FC Barcelona communicated to La Liga at the end of last December, and given the institution’s responsibility in applying the rules of financial fair play and the documents and transactions that give rise to it, La Ligawishes to clarify:
1\. As has been made public, LALIGA, in accordance with the Budget Preparation Standard (NEP), completed receiving the documentation corresponding to this corporate transaction on January 3, 2025.
Among this documentation, a certificate issued by the club’s new auditor, appointed on December 31, 2024, was provided, recognizing that the transaction was correctly recorded as income in the club’s Profit and Loss account for the current season, as certified by the Club 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 Squad Cost Limit (SCCL) by the amount of the aforementioned transaction on January 3, 2025, allowing FC Barcelona to register players with LALIGA, if permitted by federation regulations.
2\. On February 14, in view of the information that LALIGA had been able to gather in relation to said operation, and in accordance with article 64.4 of the Sports Law, it considered it essential and urgent to request the Higher Sports Council (CSD) to carry out a specific control report by the auditors that said autonomous body designated, attaching to said request all the information collected by LALIGA.
3\. Given the urgency of the request and the lack of a response from the CSD, LALIGA reiterated its request to the CSD on March 17, 2025, to prepare the aforementioned specific control report. On March 26, LALIGA received a communication from the CSD stating that the preparation of this specific control report was an optional action for the CSD, without elaborating further, and it was understood that it was refusing to prepare the specific control report.
4\. Subsequently, FC Barcelona has delivered, within the period established in the LALIGA regulations, the Interim Financial Statements referring to the first half of the current 2024-2025 season, accompanied by a limited review report signed by Crowe Auditores España, SLP, a different auditor from the one that issued the certificate indicated in point 1 of this note regarding the aforementioned corporate transaction.
Therefore, FC Barcelona has advised LALIGA to have up to three auditors in the last three months: Grant Thornton, SLP, until December 31, 2024; a different auditor, appointed on December 31, who remained so on January 3; and a third auditor, Crowe Auditores España, SLP.
5\. In said Interim Financial Statements, no amount of the aforementioned corporate operation is finally 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.
6\. 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 a balance or registration capacity, what is publicly known as ‘Fair Play’, for the registration of the players Dani Olmo and Pau Victor.
7\. In application of the NEP, LALIGA has informed the Club of the reduction of its LCPD by the amount of said corporate operation, in accordance with the Interim Financial Statements submitted.
8\. Likewise, on March 27, LALIGA communicated to the CSD the conclusions regarding ‘Fair Play’ derived from said Interim Financial Statements, especially the reduction in LCPD communicated to the Club as a consequence of the same, as well as all the previous circumstances, providing in said communication to the CSD the aforementioned Interim Financial Statements of the Club.
9\. In light of the situation described above, LALIGA informs that it will report to the Accounting and Auditing Institute (ICAC) the auditor appointed by the Club on December 31, 2024, who certified the accounting of the aforementioned corporate transaction in the Club’s Profit and Loss account.”
In the meantime, [Barcelona are still awaiting a verdict from the CSD](https://www.barcablaugranes.com/2025/3/22/24391583/barcelona-told-dani-olmo-registration-decision-due-in-the-coming-days) on Olmo and Victor’s registration which is expected by the end of the week at the latest.