Barcelona midfielder Pedri has denied that the club’s players considered boycotting the Spain national team over the row surrounding Dani Olmo‘s registration.
Olmo — and fellow Barça player Pau Víctor — were granted a temporary reprieve this week, while Spain’s sports ministry the CSD considers Barcelona’s appeal against the decision of LaLiga and the Spanish football federation to refuse their registration for the second half of the season.
Both players have now been re-registered while the CSD analyses the case, and are available for selection in Barcelona’s Spanish Supercopa final against Real Madrid in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Sunday.
The Catalan channel TV3 had said that Barça’s international players were threatening to refuse to play for Spain if Olmo’s registration was denied, in protest at a move which would have also barred him from representing his country.
“People said the Spain national team players wouldn’t go [to play] but I heard that and was surprised by that, it’s a lie,” Pedri said in a news conference in Jeddah on Saturday. “I wouldn’t say no to the national team, I love playing for the national team. It’s a lie, I hope nobody believed it.”
Spanish law obliges players who are selected by the national team to answer the call-up.
Olmo and Victor were de-registered by LaLiga on Dec. 31 after Barça missed a deadline to demonstrate that they could comply with the league’s squad spending limits.
The club later provided the necessary proof, but LaLiga found the players could not be registered again under rules banning a player being registered twice with the same club in the same season.
Barça filed an appeal of that decision, and the CSD then granted a temporary injunction ahead of a ruling.
“It’s good news for us,” Pedri said. “The position they were in is very difficult, knowing they couldn’t play. I have Dani Olmo with me on my table when we eat. It’s difficult to travel here not knowing if you can play. I’m very happy for him and for Pau, for sure they’ll contribute a lot.”
LaLiga has said it is now studying the CSD’s decision ahead of a possible appeal, and a number of clubs, including Atlético Madrid, have released statements criticising the decision, arguing it damages the league’s financial controls.
“Every club has its opinion about each case,” Pedri said. “I’m happy to have them in the team, the two of them are important for us. What other people think is their opinion.”
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