In Jeddah, the protagonists hours before the semi-final of the Spanish Super Cup between Barcelona and Athletic (Movistar +, at 8:00 p.m.) are Dani Olmo and Pau Víctor. Not for a positive reason: both are part of the Barça expedition despite not having a record and waiting for a precautionary measure and a resolution from the Higher Sports Council (CSD), which received this Tuesday morning a 52-page appeal accompanied by 60 documents sent by the Barça club. A “complicated” and “delicate” situation, Raphinha confessed, from which the team does not escape. “Not having a player like that is difficult. We miss them, but we have to continue. It will affect, but this also gives us the opportunity to be more united,” said Hansi Flick before the meeting and without knowing if the resolution will come this Wednesday. “The only thing we can do is wait,” he added.
In the midst of the noise, the one from Terrassa does not complain. At least, not publicly. Nor is it considering, at the moment, offers from other clubs. “He will speak when he has to speak. If he does it,” say those who know him. His colleagues do speak. “If I were in another club and saw their situation, I would think if it was the best thing to be here,” Raphinha stated emphatically at a press conference. “For Dani and Pau it is quite difficult to deal with this situation. We are trying to make sure it is not, and we hope that those responsible can solve this quickly. They give us positive messages. “We try to stay calm and do our job,” he added. Ronald Araujo also spoke a few days ago, who, in a captain’s attack, came out to defend Olmo and Pau Víctor after the win against Barbastro. “Let’s hope the club can solve it. It is a topic of bad taste for our teammates,” stressed the Uruguayan, speaker of a locker room that views Joan Laporta’s board with more suspicion every day. “Dani arrived as the star signing and they do this to him. “It’s a lack of respect,” protests a member of the Barça squad.
Privately, the midfielder did ask for explanations. He did so when the club did not deliver all the documentation required by LaLiga on time on the 31st; but also when he observed that Laporta and company were delaying the regularization of the fair playfinancial of Barcelona before the employers. In December, in the first meetings that Dani Olmo had with the club’s directors to talk about his registration, the response was similar: “Stay calm, we will solve it.” Now Barcelona does not change its defense against the footballer: “We are going to fix it.” While at first the Barcelona board trusted in the good predisposition of LaLiga – it had been tolerant with the Barça entity in the past – now the club clings to the Federation. As reported by RAC1, a report was prepared from Rozas to send to the CSD favorable to Barcelona’s request. The defense? Articles 130.2 and 141.5, which deny the possibility of a player being registered with the same club twice in a season, would not apply to the cases of Olmo and Víctor.
In the Federation they deny it. However, according to information from Morning Express, Las Rozas trust that Olmo will continue at Barcelona. “He is an important player for the national team. The jurists will be there to make their interpretations,” explained a source from the RFEF. But neither the good predisposition of LaLiga in the past, nor that of the Federation in the present, manages, for now, to resolve the absurdity of Barcelona with the registration of Olmo. The player remains silent, also confident. And he doesn’t complain. Meanwhile, everyone continues waiting. But the calendar doesn’t stop, and it doesn’t wait either.
In the midst of institutional chaos, a semifinal awaits. “Now we have the opportunity in the middle of the season to fight for a title, and it can give us a lot of confidence for what is to come,” said Raphinha. “Playing against Athletic is always difficult. As a team it is very good, it has very good players and philosophy. It’s nice to see them play,” Flick added. Ernesto Valverde, who coached Barcelona in his last game on the same stage where he will now play against them, pointed to his enthusiasm for the Super Cup and Barcelona’s “very strong” pace at the start of the season, but also recalled the “not so good” results. of the final stretch. This does not mean that he is confident, and alludes to the good feelings with which his team arrives. “We must have that point of self-confidence to think that we can play with anyone, but also that point of humility to know that we have to be strong.” And he concluded: “Every time you pass a difficult test you become stronger in what you do.” When the whistle blows, the noise unrelated to what is happening on the field will fall silent. At least for a few hours.
