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Lewandowski still not eligible to play at Barca
Still awaiting his Spanish league clearance: Robert Lewandowski. photo
© Gerard Franco/DAX via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
Waiting for world footballer Robert Lewandowski and other expensive newcomers to play at FC Barcelona is becoming more and more of a nail-biter.
Waiting for world footballer Robert Lewandowski and other expensive newcomers to play at FC Barcelona is becoming more and more of a nail-biter.
Even one day before the heavily indebted club’s first league game of the new season on Saturday evening, it was unclear whether the former Bayern striker as well as Jules Kounde, Raphinha, Andreas Christensen and Franck Kessie could be used at all. The same was true for Ousmane Dembélé and Sergi Roberto, whose contracts have been renewed.
Despite selling some of their silverware, Barça have so far failed to meet the league’s financial fair play rules. To do this, the debt would have to be reduced or the salary scale reduced. In the case of Dutch national player Frenkie de Jong, both sides are therefore fighting a mud fight. Barça are unhappy with his performance and want to sell him for as much money as possible or cut his salary. The midfielder has so far rejected both. Fans even mobbed him on the street.
The Barça management is now “very concerned” about a delay in the sale of another part of the club’s assets, wrote the specialist newspaper “Mundo Deportivo”. A few days ago everything seemed to be clear, 25 percent of Barça Studios should take over the company GDA Luma for 100 million euros. But legal and administrative issues delayed the action.
In the league, it is now feared that those responsible for Barça will only submit the documents required for registration during the course of Saturday. “Mundo Deportivo” wrote that decisions of great importance would then have to be made without sufficient time to review them.
The only consolation for the Catalans: In the first league game on Saturday at the Camp Nou (9 p.m.) against Rayo Vallecano from Madrid, it could be possible without the top stars if necessary. However, if the registration has not been completed by the end of the summer transfer window, which closes in Spain on September 1, Lewandowski and Co. cannot be used at least until the winter transfer time.