Dani Olmo, the centre attacking midfielder, made his debut for FC Barcelona after coming on as a substitute in the game against Rayo Vallecano. He came on at half-time for Ferran Torres and was in on the action within seconds. In the 46th minute of the game, he was trying to dribble inside the opposition penalty area and got past one player but was tripped. However, the referees did not give a penalty to the visitors, much to the dismay of Olmo and FC Barcelona.
Dani Olmo goes down in the box, NO PENALTY GIVEN!pic.twitter.com/acFOgD8DIm
— forblaugrana (@forblaugrana) August 27, 2024
Fourteen minutes later, Pedri got the score level with Raphinha claiming the assist rights for the goal. Rayo Vallecano took the lead earlier in the first-half through Unai Lopez. In the 73rd minute of the game, Robert Lewandowski’s goal was also disallowed after a player was found offside in the build-up. Later on, during the 82nd minute of the game, Olmo scored after a brilliant pass from Spanish sensation Lamine Yamal. This strike also gave FC Barcelona the lead in the encounter.
DANI OLMO SCORES ON HIS DEBUT FOR FC BARCELONA!
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) August 27, 2024
HE HAS ARRIVED!! 🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/xZfmznXkrG
How did Dani Olmo get registered to play in La Liga?
The Spanish playmaker was officially registered with FC Barcelona, allowing him to play in his first game on Tuesday against Rayo Vallecano. The 26-year-old missed FC Barcelona's opening two La Liga matches after signing with the team on August 9th, the same club he played for in his youth.
Since FC Barcelona did not possess the extra funds required by the league's financial regulations, Olmo could not be registered. Last week, Barcelona loaned centre-back Clement Lenglet to Atletico Madrid and returned midfielder Ilkay Gundogan to his former club Manchester City.
A regulation that gives teams a discount for a portion of the salaries of players with chronic injuries has also benefited Barcelona. Former Chelsea centre-back Andreas Christensen is expected to miss four months of action, according to the Spanish club.
Olmo joined Dinamo Zagreb at the age of sixteen after progressing through Barcelona's youth divisions. Later, he signed with RB Leipzig. With three goals in Euro 2024, he shared the top scorer title with Spain, helping them win the competition for a record-tying fourth time. The club reportedly paid 60 million euros for his return to Barcelona.