Atletico criticise government intervention in Barcelona's Olmo case
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - LaLiga - FC Barcelona v Espanyol - Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys, Barcelona, Spain - November 3, 2024 FC Barcelona's Dani Olmo scores their first goal REUTERS/Albert Gea/File Photo
Atletico Madrid are concerned that the decision by Spain's National Sports Council (CSD) to allow Barcelona to provisionally register Dani Olmo and Pau Victor sets a dangerous precedent, the LaLiga club said on Thursday.
Barcelona signed the two players in the close season but with the club unable to meet LaLiga's wage cap, they were only allowed to be registered for the first half of the campaign.
After the Spanish football federation (RFEF) and LaLiga rejected a request to register the pair for the second half of the season, Barcelona took their case to the CSD.
The CSD gave its provisional decision on Wednesday, shortly before Barcelona took to the pitch in Saudi Arabia for the Spanish Super Cup semi-final.
After a 2-0 win over Athletic Bilbao, Barcelona will now have Olmo and Victor available for Sunday's final against Real Madrid.
"Atletico de Madrid wants to show its deep concern about the situation generated in Spanish football after the resolution adopted this Wednesday by the National Sports Council," the club said in a statement.
"We believe that this decision endangers the current system, calling into question the rules of the game."
Atletico said the government intervention created a dangerous precedent.
"It opens the door to breaking the rules and making the serious mistakes of the past," they added. "Without clear and equal rules for all, there is no fair competition possible."
