Dani Olmo situation overshadowing Barcelona’s bid for Spanish Super Cup
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Dani Olmo during a training session with Barcelona, but his future at the club remains uncertain.
PHOTO: EPA-EFE
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BARCELONA – Barcelona coach Hansi Flick is hoping to win the first silverware of his reign this week in the Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia, but the Dani Olmo registration debacle rumbles on firmly in the foreground.
Holders Real Madrid – the reigning Spanish and European champions – are favourites for the trophy after thrashing Barcelona 4-1 in last season’s final.
Ernesto Valverde’s Athletic Bilbao face Barca in the first semi-final on Jan 8 looking to win it for the first time since beating the Catalan side in the 2021 showpiece, having qualified as Copa del Rey winners.
Carlo Ancelotti’s Real tackle last season’s Copa runners-up Real Mallorca in the second semi on Jan 9, with the final set for Jan 12 in Jeddah at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium.
Barcelona have named Olmo, and young forward Pau Victor, who is similarly unable to play, in their travelling party to head to the Gulf state. But until they hear otherwise from Spain’s top sports court (CSD), neither Olmo nor Victor can play for the rest of the season in any competition.
The club said last weekend they would take their case to the CSD after two attempts to renew the duo’s licences were rebuffed by the courts, while La Liga and the Spanish football federation have rejected Barcelona’s registration attempts.
Both Olmo and Victor were given short-term licences at the start of the season as the financially struggling Barca wrangled their way around La Liga’s stringent budget controls when defender Andreas Christensen suffered an injury, offering a loophole.
Defender Ronald Araujo is also in the squad after making his comeback from injury during a 4-0 win over Barbastro in the Copa del Rey on Jan 4, which Olmo and Victor were forced to miss.
“It’s left a bad taste because they are our teammates... we hope the club can resolve the issue,” said Araujo. “We now have to turn our attention to Wednesday’s (clash) against Athletic.”
Despite leading La Liga for a lengthy stretch, a string of poor results in November and December saw Barcelona drop to third. Stopping the rot with even a minor trophy would give a needed morale boost to a flagging side.
Flick said vital teenage winger Lamine Yamal should be fit to feature after an ankle injury.
Barcelona have won one of the four Spanish Super Cups that have taken place in Saudi Arabia, beating Real in the 2023 final for their record-extending 14th triumph.
Real, who won the first of those in 2020, when it also became a four-team competition, trail Barcelona by one.
Despite a shaky start to the season, Ancelotti’s side have manoeuvred their way to first place in La Liga and also won the European Super Cup in August.
Star summer arrival Kylian Mbappe seems to be finding his footing and with the in-form Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Jr, Real’s attacking trident mark them out as favourites.
Brazilian winger Vinicius scored a hat-trick in last season’s final in a pivotal match for him, before going on to star in the team’s La Liga and Champions League victories after a slow start to the season. AFP
