Barcelona go to court to keep star player on their roster
The frenetic final days of Europe's mid-season swap market - the whirlwind of spending and sell-offs known as the January transfer window - are always full of drama. Flying rumors. The deal is done. For most clubs, the final hours, which take place on Tuesday, are spent last minute haggling over new player prices.
At F.C. Barcelona, ??the Spanish club stuck in a years-long financial crisis, closing this year's window is even stranger than usual:
While most of their rivals scoured the player market, Barcelona went to court to keep one to themselves. The crisis was caused by the club. After spending heavily on new talent last summer despite repeated warnings that their spending violated league cost controls, Barcelona have been told by the Spanish federation that they cannot sign up. new player until she can't find any new savings or income. That hasn't stopped the team from offering a new contract to Gavi, an extraordinarily talented teenager who is one of the club's most valuable assets.
A new contract means a new higher salary and, most importantly, a new league registration. The federation backed down and refused to sign up for Gavi. And so Barcelona turned to the courts in their home country, and on Tuesday they received the decision they were looking for.
In a statement, the club said it had persuaded a local commercial court to ask Spanish league officials to register 18-year-old midfielder Gavi before the deal window closed at midnight. . The court accepted Barcelona's argument, the club said, that the federation's failure to register the player had caused "serious and irreparable harm" to the club.
The Spanish league, known as La Liga, was not represented at the hearing. He said he would study the decision before deciding on next steps, but he signaled that his battle with Barcelona over financial controls is not over yet.
A spokesman for the league said: “If the court asks us to register Gavi, we will. "And if there are grounds for an appeal, we will appeal." The spokesperson said that in the event of a successful appeal, the federation would cancel Gavi's registration.
Gavi's new contract agreement highlights the difficult financial situation Barcelona continue to find themselves in, even after their president, Joan Laporta, returns to power in 2021 with the promise of restoring fame and fortune club's main business after the financial collapse sent FC Barcelona into a spiral of bankruptcy.
Laporta managed to raise capital quickly. In fact, many follow a scheme in which Barcelona sell the club's assets - including commercial rights for many years - to outside investors. But instead of using this cash flow to balance the books, Laporta plunged into a massive shopping spree, bringing in a series of new players. The acquisition makes the club's fortunes dependent on sporting success, coupled with the need for new sources of income.
The results have been mixed. Barcelona are top of the Spanish league with half a season left, but a humiliating group stage exit from the Champions League - and financial disaster - has raised new doubts about his financial prospects. their main.
La Liga president Javier Tebas this week explained why Barcelona could not sign Gavi. In the federation's view, he said, the new deal would see Barcelona breach financial limits when it comes into effect. "The problem with not signing up for Gavi stems from the fact that this is a subscription that goes into effect next season and is not valid for the next six months," Tebas said in comments .
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