Barcelona has frequently faced an issue with player registrations in recent seasons. This problem has primarily come into existence due to the mismanaging of finances during Bartomeu’s tenure at the club. Including outrageous and unsustainable player salaries, the deep-rooted problems continue to plague the club even today.
Consequently, several stars such as Andreas Christensen, Franck Kessie, Marcos Alonso, and even new signings such as Joao Felix and Joao Cancelo had to be registered at the final moment. This has caused understandable frustration within the club and has left many people curious regarding the proceedings.
Golden Boy
One of the most major events in terms of registration problems was one that involved Pablo Gavi. The 19-year-old prodigy is a product of the Barcelona academy. A proud winner of the Golden Boy Award, Gavi is amongst the most valuable stars within the FC Barcelona setup.
His initial contract when he joined the first team was based on a subsidiary record. This allowed the player to feature for the first team but not as a permanent member of it. However, no longer able to ignore his displays and popularity as a star, Barcelona considered it time to give him a proper first-team contract.
Contractual Complications
Signed by Gavi without hesitation, he was then awarded the storied number 6 shirt as a result. Once worn by current Barcelona coach Xavi himself, Gavi did his best to honor the shirt. However, not too long after, legal and financial issues caused La Liga to declare the contract’s registration null and void, resulting in Gavi having to revert back to his former number 30.
Despite this, Barcelona appealed this decision. They would ultimately end up having that appeal accepted and on the basis of a provisional court ruling, Gavi continues with the ‘6’. The 15th section of the Barcelona Court of Appeals was responsible for accepting the club’s appeal against the lifting of the interim measures ‘initiated’ by La Liga in February of this year.
Deco offers insight
In a recent exclusive interview with Barcelona Sporting Director Deco, Mundo Deportivo touched on the subject. Understanding that La Liga is still not permanently on board with Gavi’s registration for the moment, Deco was asked about when the actual registration would be made permanent apart from the court’s current ruling.
The registration of Gavi, which is currently in place due to a judicial decision, remains a lingering issue. When will he be permanently registered?
“The club has this under control; they are in touch with LaLiga, and discussions are ongoing. There is no problem.”
It appears that Deco and Barcelona continue to work on the issue behind the scenes. While new arrivals and winter transfers are important, Gavi’s registration possibly holds the utmost priority. To finalize contracts already present within the club would likely come before the incorporation of new faces.
