Official statement

In response to various reports regarding the corporate operation related to VIP Boxes communicated to LALIGA by FC Barcelona at the end of December 2024, and in view of LALIGA's responsibility in enforcing Financial Fair Play regulations, as well as the documentation and transactions involved, LALIGA would like to clarify the following:

1.- As has been made public, LALIGA, in accordance with the Budget Preparation Regulations (NEP), received the documentation related to this corporate operation on January 3, 2025. 

Within said documentation, a certificate issued by the Club's new auditor, appointed on December 31, 2024, was provided. The certificate confirmed the operation was properly accounted for as income in the Club’s Profit and Loss statement for the current season, as previously certified by the Club itself to LALIGA. This documentation was necessary and essential to validate the accounts, and without such certification, it would not have been possible, as established by the aforementioned NEP.

Based on this, LALIGA increased FC Barcelona’s Squad Cost Limit (LCPD) by the amount of the corporate transaction on January 3, 2025, allowing the Club to register players in LALIGA, if permitted by the federation's rules.

2.- On February 14, given the information LALIGA had obtained regarding this transaction, and in accordance with Article 64.4 of the Sports Law, it was deemed urgent and necessary to request the National Sports Council (CSD) to conduct a specific control report by the auditors appointed by said autonomous body. LALIGA submitted all the information it had gathered in its request.

3.-   Due to the urgency of the matter and the lack of response from the CSD, LALIGA reiterated the request to the CSD for the completion of the aforementioned control report on March 17, 2025. On March 26, LALIGA received a communication from the CSD stating that the execution of said control report was within its discretionary powers, without further elaboration, effectively declining the request.

4.- Subsequently, FC Barcelona submitted, within the time frame established by LALIGA regulations, the Interim Financial Statements for the first half of the 2024–2025 season, accompanied by a limited review report issued by Crowe Auditores España, S.L.P., a different auditor from the one who had issued the previous certificate referenced in point 1. 

Therefore, FC Barcelona has reported three auditors to LALIGA in the last three months: Grant Thornton, S.L.P, until December 31, 2024; a different auditor, appointed on December 31, and who remained in place until January 3; and now a third auditor, Crowe Auditores España, S.L.P.

5.- These Interim Financial Statements ultimately do not include the corporate transaction in the Profit and Loss Statement, contrary to what had been certified earlier by the Club and its auditor at the time of the transaction, as detailed in point 1.

6.- According to the referenced Interim Financial Statements, and in compliance with the NEP, FC Barcelona did not, as of December 31, 2024, or January 3, 2025, nor does it currently, have any positive balance or registration capacity, publicly known as ‘Fair Play’, to register the players Dani Olmo and Pau Víctor.

7.- In accordance with the NEP, LALIGA has informed the Club that their LCPD has been reduced by the amount of the corporate operation, based on the submitted Interim Financial Statements.

8.- Likewise, on March 27, LALIGA also notified the CSD of the conclusions regarding Fair Play derived from said Interim Financial Statements, particularly the reduction in the LCPD communicated to the Club as a consequence thereof, and provided the CSD with said Interim Financial Statements.

9.- In view of the situation outlined above, LALIGA hereby announces that it will file a formal complaint with the Institute of Accounting and Accounts Auditing (ICAC) against the auditor appointed by the Club on December 31, 2024, who certified the accounting of the aforementioned corporate operation in the Club’s Profit and Loss statement.