In early January, one case in particular caused a stir in Catalonia. The Real Madrid president reportedly picked up the phone to intervene.
Following a meeting between the RFEF and LaLiga, the two bodies jointly decided that Dani Olmo could not be registered with FC Barcelona for the second half of the season. “After analyzing the applicable federal regulations, the Supervisory Committee has decided not to grant the prior visa or definitive license requested by FC Barcelona for players Daniel Olmo and Pau Victor, in accordance with the literal interpretation of the RFEF’s laws, which prevent a player whose license is revoked from being able to obtain a license with the same team of the club to which he was already affiliated during the same season,” the RFEF stated last January.
A few days later, Dani Olmo (and also Pau Victor, who was also affected by the decision) were finally allowed to join the Blaugrana squad, with the forced agreement of LaLiga. This was a relief for Barcelona, who even cried conspiracy at one point, assuming that certain politicians and even Real Madrid had intervened to prevent these signings. What we now learn is that Real did indeed play a role in this whole affair, but not the one we think.
Florentino Perez Helped Barça
A few days ago, “Catalunya Radio” revealed that Florentino Pérez had called José Manuel Rodríguez Uribe, the president of the CSD (the Higher Sports Council, an administrative body responsible for implementing the government’s sports policy in Spain), to request that Dani Olmo be granted a precautionary measure so he could play. The CSD ruled, and, having the upper hand over LaLiga and the Spanish Federation, imposed the registration of Olmo and Pau Víctor. LaLiga could only publicly oppose this decision and accept it.
Today, El Confidencial reveals more details about this story. According to this always well-informed media outlet, “Florentino Pérez did not hesitate to admit to FC Barcelona officials in Jeddah that he had intervened in this matter. He even boasted about it to Dani Olmo himself, in the locker room tunnel at the King Abdullah Sport City stadium, to the player’s surprise,” reports El Confidencial.
In short, Pérez told his counterparts and the player concerned that “if he was able to be on the pitch” on that day of the Spanish Super Cup final and for the rest of the season, it was also thanks to him. What the Madrid president perhaps didn’t anticipate was that Real Madrid would suffer one of its worst humiliations that day, a 5-2 defeat with… Dani Olmo as the protagonist.
Why this support?
That’s the question. Why would Florentino Perez have sought to help FC Barcelona, a rival club in every competition each season? For many, the answer is obvious and straightforward. The Madrid president has simply applied the maxim “the enemy of your enemy is your friend” to the letter in his open war with Javier Tebas, the president of La Liga, whose body had initially opposed Olmo’s signing. A minor power struggle that has its internal causes and consequences.
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