Amid the hottest negotiations of the transfer market, FC Barcelona has found itself caught in an institutional storm that threatens to change the rules of the game in Spanish soccer. Everything erupted when it became public that LaLiga president, Javier Tebas, held a meeting with Athletic Club de Bilbao executives to provide sensitive financial information about the Catalan club. A leak that could have been decisive in frustrating Nico Williams's transfer to Barça and that has now sparked an unprecedented debate in the recent history of the competition.
The meeting of discord: Athletic Club, Tebas, and Barça's finances
The controversy broke out in the media when both Athletic Club and Javier Tebas publicly acknowledged that they had held a meeting in which Barça's financial statements and its ability to register players under the famous 1:1 rule were thoroughly analyzed. According to various media outlets, this information was used by the Basque club to convey to Nico Williams and his entourage the idea that signing for Barça entailed a risk, since registration was not guaranteed.
Miguel Galán, president of CENAFE, was one of the first to expose the scandal: "The president of Athletic Club was shown the interim financial statements of FC Barcelona during that meeting, allowing him to verify on the spot that the profit and loss account did not reflect any amount related to the corporate operation of selling VIP seats. In addition, the president of LaLiga explicitly informed about the reduction of FC Barcelona's LCPD and that they had neither balance nor registration capacity."
A scandal that could end up in court
The consequences of the leak have gone beyond the transfer market. Miguel Galán himself made it clear on El Chiringuito that "in administrative proceedings, for sure" there would be grounds to file a complaint against Tebas, and that even "in criminal proceedings, which would be an alleged crime of disclosure of secrets, there are indications." According to Galán, article 5 of LaLiga's regulations expressly prohibits providing information, data, and documents of the clubs to third parties, something that, in this case, would have been violated.
When asked by Josep Pedrerol whether the disclosure of data to Athletic had been decisive in Nico Williams's final decision, Galán was blunt: "One hundred percent, absolutely. With that financial information from FC Barcelona, where the president of the League told them they had neither balance capacity nor purchasing power, they told[Nico]they couldn't sign a contract under those conditions because they wouldn't be registered."
The reaction of public opinion and the pressure on Barça
On social media, journalists and fans have quickly demanded accountability. Journalist Víctor Lozano expressed it clearly: "Barça must investigate this immediately and if it's true (I have no doubt that it is) act immediately and report and expel this Madridist gentleman. The president of the league revealing confidential data with the intention of sabotaging a club's signing is extremely serious!"
Galán himself has insisted that "if FC Barcelona and its president don't initiate a complaint against the president of La Liga, they deserve everything that's happening. The lack of action in that regard only aggravates the situation and allows Javier Tebas's irregularities and arbitrariness against FC Barcelona to continue."
A tainted market and a dangerous precedent
The controversy has made it clear that the institutional war in LaLiga goes far beyond sports. Javier Tebas's actions have not only impacted Nico Williams's future, but, according to experts, have endangered the image and credibility of the championship. Revealing confidential data to influence a signing could mark a turning point in the way clubs and the League operate.
While the fans are still digesting Nico Williams's "no" and the lack of reinforcements, in the offices at Camp Nou an immediate reaction is being demanded. The story isn't over yet and the legal battle could be only in its first chapter.