Barcelona plot final attempt to re-register Dani Olmo after official La Liga ruling
- Barcelona's appeal to re-register Dani Olmo was officially rejected by La Liga
- The club are set to take the case to the Spanish government
- Barcelona remain "optimistic" that Olmo will be able to play again this season
Barcelona are planning on appealing to the Spanish government in one final desperate bid to re-register Dani Olmo after La Liga and the national football federation officially rejected the club's plea.
Olmo has unwittingly found himself in the eye of an unprecedented legal dispute. After arriving at Barcelona for a fee in the region of €60m (£50m) over the summer, the Spain international had to wait until the third week of the season before the club found room within their strict budget to register him. However, that was only a temporary measure which expired on December 31.
The regulations of Spain's national football federation (RFEF) prevents any player from acquiring a second registration to play for the same club in a single season. Barcelona twice went to the city's commercial courts to argue against La Liga's ability to enforce these rules, but were swiftly rebuffed on both occasions.
A joint statement from La Liga and RFEF officially confirmed the rejection of Barcelona's final plea to re-register the two players on Saturday, a matter of hours before Hansi Flick's side began their Copa del Rey campaign against fifth-tier Barbastro.
Club president Joan Laporta claimed to have sourced the necessary funds for Olmo's registration - and that of young forward Pau Victor, who finds himself in the same perilous position - but no external party could guarantee the income from unnamed Middle Eastern investors before the deadline of December 31. Barcelona belatedly confirmed the VIP seating deal on Friday, 3 January with the permission of La Liga - although that doesn't change the fact that Olmo's registration has expired.
Now, Barcelona are going above La Liga and RFEF with an appeal to the Higher Sports Council (CSD), the sporting arm of the Spanish government, according to multiple reports.
The Athletic claim that Barcelona will at least seek temporary permission to register Olmo and Victor to avoid the potential harm that could be inflicted upon the two players while waiting for a final decision.
Spanish publication SPORT revealed that the hearing would take place on Tuesday, 7 January and the club remain defiantly "optimistic" about the situation. That positive stance could even see Barcelona include Olmo and Victor in the squad which will travel to Saudi Arabia for next week's Spanish Super Cup in the hope that a resolution will be found before Wednesday's semi-final against Athletic Club.