What if this was the start of a major movement against FC Barcelona in Spain? The near future will tell but it looks like it. The decision of the Spanish Sports Council (CSD) to agree with FC Barcelona and therefore to validate the registrations of Dani Olmo and Pau Victor for the second part of the season, does not pass for certain clubs. This is the case of Las Palmas which published a particularly spicy press release. The island team, currently 13th in the championship, expresses its dissatisfaction and believes that this is the door open to other abuses. “The resolution issued yesterday by the Superior Sports Council (CSD) surprised us unfavorably and since then at UD Las Palmas we have expressed our absolute disagreement. We consider that this decision represents a serious danger for the integrity of the competition and creates a worrying precedent which could destabilize the foundations of professional football in our country.» begins the press release. With this decision, the club judges that the economic rules put in place have been flouted.
“It is particularly striking that this resolution was adopted with unusual speed, without giving rise to the view or participation of LaLiga and the RFEF, key players in the management of Spanish football. This procedure ignored previous decisions of the CSD itself and of the courts, which generates a feeling of arbitrariness incompatible with the principles of transparency and fairness which should govern any process of this type. Furthermore, the declaration of incompetence of the Control Commission in this matter seems to demonstrate a worrying lack of knowledge of the functioning of the system of prior visas and definitive licenses, previously agreed by the institutions concerned. At no time is the application of the articles of the RFEF regulation which prevented the granting of licenses mentioned, a key point in this matter. The damage caused by this resolution transcends the specific case of the actors involved. Its impact endangers La Liga’s system of economic control, a recognized and praised tool in sports law, which has proven essential in ensuring the economic sustainability of clubs. This system, admired internationally, has saved many historic entities from ruin while ensuring balanced competition on and off the field. However, this CSD measure directly contradicts the principles established in the said law, generating uncertainty over the future of Spanish professional football. At UD Las Palmas we insist that the effects of these measures be carefully examined and we hope that respect for the rules that guarantee the integrity of our competition will be restored. UD Las Palmas reaffirms its commitment to defending fair, sustainable and balanced football, based on clear rules agreed by all clubs.»
