Cash-strapped Barcelona suffer another financial blow as Catalan giants have their salary limit reduced by La Liga after €100m VIP seat sales at renovated Camp Nou were excluded

La Liga has announced that the latest accounts submitted by Barcelona do not include a €100 million (£83m/$108m) sale tied to the leasing of 475 VIP seats at the renovated Camp Nou for 30 years. The deal was initially intended to help register Dani Olmo and Pau Victor, but doubts have been raised about its integrity. Investors Forta Advisors and New Era Visionary Group have already paid €57m (£47m/$61m) of the amount, but La Liga has decided not to count it in Barcelona’s salary cap calculations.

Barcelona's switch from Grant Thornton to Crowe as auditors led to the exclusion of a €100m VIP seat sale from their accounts, reducing their salary limit. La Liga has informed the High Sports Committee (CSD), which is set to rule on Olmo and Victor's registration. If the CSD rules against Barcelona, both players could be sidelined for the rest of the season. This financial blow also hampers the club's summer transfer plans and could complicate ongoing legal challenges. The club is preparing an appeal, putting added pressure on president Joan Laporta.

Barca president Laporta said in an angry outburst to reporters: "We will respond back to La Liga. They want to attack our interests. La Liga approved signings of Pau Victor and Olmo and now they've changed their minds. Why? Did they do a bad job in the first place when they approved the operations? We're playing a key match tonight and La Liga is communicating this morning. Strange! They can't beat us on the pitch, so they act off it."

Having taken on Atletico Madrid in the second leg of the Copa del Rey semi-finals on Wednesday night, and won 1-0, the Catalans will return to La Liga action this weekend, where they will lock horns with an in-form Real Betis side on Saturday, April 5.