Tuesday, January 14, 2025
Year : 2, Issue: 20
AFP: Barcelona president Joan Laporta defended his handling of the Dani Olmo registration issue and lashed out at enemies attacking the club in a fiery speech on Tuesday.
Midfielder Olmo and striker Pau Victor both missed two matches after La Liga and the Spanish football federation (RFEF) refused them new licenses to play, saying Barcelona had failed to meet the deadline at the end of 2024.
Barcelona approached Spain’s national sports council for a temporary measure which would allow the duo to play before a final ruling is made on their case against La Liga and the RFEF, which they were granted last week.
“Nothing which has happened in these last weeks regarding the registrations has surprised us,” Laporta told reporters in a news conference which lasted nearly two hours.
Laporta said La Liga had unexpectedly asked for additional documentation from the club on December 31 regarding the sale of the VIP seats, which led to Barcelona missing the deadline.
The president said investors from Qatar and the United Arab Emirates had bought the seats but the money had not arrived by the end of 2024 and La Liga were demanding to see proof of it.
