Raphinha fears the registration fiasco surrounding Dani Olmo and Pau Victor could affect future signings at Barcelona.
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Raphinha wary about Olmo, Victor situation
Olmo and Victor were both unregistered on January 1 after Barcelona missed the December 31 deadline to demonstrate compliance with LaLiga’s financial fair play regulations.
Both players have travelled with Barca to Saudi Arabia for Wednesday’s Spanish Supercopa semifinal against Athletic Club in Jeddah.
However, Olmo and Victor were not available for selection.
Raphinha believes that the Barca’s situation could force players to turn down the chance of signing with the Catalan club.
“I think it could,” he said.
“I can’t say otherwise because I would be lying and that’s not me, I don’t like lying or telling stories. The truth is that if I was at another club and seeing the situation Pau and Dani are in, maybe I would think twice if it was best to be here.”
Raphinha also faced challenges with his registration when he joined the club in the summer of 2022.
Barcelona had to sell club assets, including future earnings from television rights, to register the Brazilian international with LaLiga.
“When I came here, before signing, I knew the club’s situation,” he added. “I knew a there was a percentage chance of being able to play in this shirt, so I waited until the last moment and I don’t have any regrets.”
“It’s a complicated situation for Dani and Pau. As players, we never want to go through these kind of moments. It’s hard for them, they don’t know if they can play or not.
“It’s a situation that’s pretty difficult and delicate. We hope those in charge of it can resolve it as quickly as possible so they can play with us again.”
Wait and see
LaLiga and the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) released a joint statement on Saturday, stating that they cannot register Olmo or Víctor for a second time in a single season.
Barca has submitted an appeal to the Consejo Superior de Deportes (CSD), Spain’s highest sports court.
Meanwhile, the club has requested a temporary measure to let the players continue playing until a final ruling is made.
Victory against Athletic would set up a Spanish Super Cup final against either Real Madrid or Mallorca on Sunday.
“I think everything happens [on Wednesday],” Barça coach Hansi Flick said.
“The only thing we can do now is wait for that and play this match against Athletic, who are a really tough opponent.”
“This is the situation. It’s not easy for Dani or Pau Víctor. You know more than me that Dani Olmo is an excellent player. We miss him, of course, because he can change matches.”
“But we have to accept it. I think that the team also gets closer as one unit. We have to defend and play as one unit and show that we are a team.”
