LAMINE YAMAL'S GIRLFRIEND NICKI NICOLE SHARES JOKES WITH RAPHINHA & DANI OLMO AS TRIO WATCH BARCELONA THRASH OLYMPIACOS

Barcelona smashed Olympiacos 6-1 in the Champions League on Tuesday night at Montjuic and were cheered on by Lamine Yamal's girlfriend Nicki Nicole. The Argentine rapper was spotted in the stands and sharing jokes with Yamal's team-mates Raphinha and Dani Olmo, who missed the game due to injury. Yamal scored a penalty and grabbed an assist on a good night for Hansi Flick's side.

Nicole watches on as Barca run riot

Barcelona were in great goalscoring form on Tuesday as they hit Olympiacos for six. Fermin Lopez bagged a hat-trick and took home the match ball, Yamal was on target from the penalty spot and Manchester United loanee Marcus Rashford grabbed a brace in an emphatic win. Olympiacos had been in the game at 2-1, but saw Santiago Hezze harshly sent off, and then were left further enraged when Barca were awarded a penalty after a VAR review when Rashford went to ground in the area.

Yamal coolly slotted home the resulting spot kick to thrill fans in the stands and Barca went on to win with ease. Girlfriend Nicole was also spotted having a great time as she smiled and joked with Raphinha and Olmo during the match. The duo were watching from the stands after being ruled out of the game through injury along with Joan Garcia, Gavi, Robert Lewandowski and Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

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Yamal makes more history at Barcelona

Yamal celebrated scoring by blowing a kiss up to the stands as he netted his fifth goal of the season in all competitions for Barcelona. The teenager also made more history during the game as he became the youngest player to reach 25 appearances in Champions League history at the tender age of just 18 years and 100 days. 

Manager Hansi Flick was happy to see his team return to winning ways in the competition after defeat to defending champions Paris Saint-Germain last time out. He told reporters after the victory: "The first thing is that we won today, which was the important thing, and this should give us confidence for that match. It's a tremendous game. We don't have time to waste. We're going to bounce back. Every game gives you confidence. We won last season, but that's in the past. We're in a different situation, but I'm optimistic because of last season and because I see ourselves capable. Maybe we'll get some players back. We'll see; we have time to rest and prepare for the match."

Flick not worried about Yamal's private life

Yamal's love life has been making headlines this season amid his burgeoning romance with Nicole. The rapper has said she's "very much in love" with Barcelona's brilliant 18-year-old and the duo have been offering fans regular glimpses of their time together on social media, most recently sharing a helicopter ride together during the international break.

There has been speculation that there is tension at Barcelona about Yamal's private life, something Hansi Flick was quick to shoot down at a pre-match press conference ahead of his team's win over Girona last time out in La Liga.

"For me, what counts is that when he's here, he puts in the effort and commitment. And that's what he does. He had a few days off after working hard, and I don't interfere in his private life," he told reporters.

Flick also denied vehemently denied suggestions he had wanted to drop Yamal against PSG, after he was late for a meeting, but was blocked from doing so by sporting director Deco. He explained: "I'd like to know where this comes from; this is garbage. I'm especially grateful that this club, and Deco in particular, believes in our work. They would never ask us to do this. It's not true; I have nothing to hide. It's garbage, and if anyone says it, they're lying."

- Gill Clark

DANI OLMO SAGA: BARCELONA'S HANS FLICK CONFIDENT OF REGISTRATION

Barcelona coach Hansi Flick said he remains confident that Dani Olmo and Pau Víctor will be able to play for the club again this season.

LaLiga and the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) announced Saturday they had rejected Barça's request to re-register the duo after the Catalan club missed a Dec. 31 deadline to prove they were compliant with the league's financial fair play (FFP) rules.

Olmo, a €60 million ($61.9m) summer signing from RB Leipzig, has a clause in his contract which would allow him to leave for free if he remains unregistered for the second half of the season, but Flick says the Spain international is committed to Barça.

"I have the confidence that the club will do it," Flick said in a news conference after Saturday's 4-0 Copa del Rey win at Barbastro, a match which Olmo and Víctor were both forced to miss.

"This morning I spoke with Dani and Dani wants to play for Barça. We need him and also Pau Víctor. They are very good players. We need both of them. We have to wait. This is the only thing we can do now."

A brace from Robert Lewandowski and goals from Eric García and Pablo Torre helped Barça book their place in the Copa round of 16, with Flick insisting the drama around Olmo and Víctor will not affect the team.

Dani Olmo would be available to leave for free if he remains unregistered. Getty Images

"I think everyone wants that both of them are back because they are important players for our offence," he added.

"Today we played very focused. We played like we want. There was nothing to see or to feel that the team suffered about that. We are professional, we have to play and the team did really good."

Defender Ronald Araújo, who made his first appearance of the season against Barbastro, also expressed his desire for Barça to find a fix to the Olmo and Víctor situation as soon as possible.

"It's left a bad taste because they are our teammates," he told reporters. "We hope the club can resolve the issue. Meanwhile, we now have to turn our attention to Wednesday's Supercopa [semifinal] against Athletic Club."

Araújo had not played since injuring his hamstring representing Uruguay at the Copa América last July, but he managed to complete 90 minutes on Saturday.

"I'm really happy to win the game, but also on a personal level to be back and play 90 minutes," he added.

"I didn't know if I could play the whole match. The coach was asking me if I felt OK [to continue] and I did. It's important to build up minutes. I'm delighted."

Flick said Lamine Yamal should also have recovered from an ankle injury to feature in the Supercopa next week, while Raphinha will travel to Saudi Arabia with the squad despite missing the Barbastro game with a "small problem."

Barça meet Athletic in Jeddah on Wednesday, with the winners facing either Real Madrid or Mallorca in the final on Jan. 12.

- Sam Marsden and Moises Llorens

BARCELONA REQUEST TO KEEP PLAYING OLMO AND VICTOR IS REJECTED

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Barcelona's Dani Olmo and Pau Victor will be unable to play for the LaLiga side in the second half of the season, Spanish football authorities said on Saturday after rejecting the club's latest attempt to extend their registrations.

Midfielder Olmo, 26, who helped Spain to European Championship glory last year, has been an integral part of Barcelona's team this season, while forward Victor, 23, has been largely restricted to substitute appearances.

Barca are third in LaLiga, five points behind leaders Real Madrid.

They signed Olmo from RB Leipzig on a six-year deal in August for around 55 million euros ($56.7 million) and Victor in July, but only registered them for the first half of the season due to LaLiga wage cap considerations.

The Spanish football federation (RFEF) and LaLiga said in a joint statement they had rejected a request to register them both for the second half.

"The Monitoring Committee agrees not to grant the prior approval or the definitive licence requested by FC Barcelona for the players Daniel Olmo Carvajal and Pau Victor Delgado," the RFEF said.

Two courts had previously rejected the club's requests.

LaLiga had previously welcomed the legal rulings, saying additional spending was allowed so long-term injuries do not weaken a team but the rule should not be exploited to allow the registration of players whose salaries exceed the limit.

LaLiga had previously welcomed the legal rulings, saying additional spending was allowed so long-term injuries do not weaken a team but the rule should not be exploited to allow the registration of players whose salaries exceed the limit.

The club had managed to register Olmo after long-term injuries kept first-team players out of the squad for months, allowing Barca to allocate a portion of wages to register the player who was joint top scorer at Euro 2024.

Spanish media reported that Barcelona plan to file a complaint to the Spanish government via the Administrative Sports Court (CSD) in a last-ditch attempt to allow the pair to play.

There was no immediate comment from Barcelona.

Olmo and Victor were not named in the squad for Barca's Copa del Rey match against fourth-tier side Barbastro on Saturday.

"Everyone wants Dani Olmo and Pau Victor back," Barcelona coach Hansi Flick told a press conference following his team's 4-0 win .

"We played focused, we played well. I haven't seen the team suffer because of this situation... We have to be professional and accept (it)."

Both players' profiles have been removed from the LaLiga website.

It is not the first time Barca have failed to register a key player. The Catalan let Lionel Messi leave in 2021 even though the Argentine forward wanted to extend his stay at the club where he started his career.

($1 = 0.9701 euros)

- Reuters 

DANI OLMO SEALS BARCELONA WIN WITH GOAL IN 'DREAM' DEBUT

Dani Olmo celebrates after scoring for Barcelona in his debut for the club in a win over Rayo Vallecano. Getty Images

Dani Olmo celebrated a "dream debut" on his return to Barcelona as he scored the winning goal in Tuesday's 2-1 comeback win against Rayo Vallecano in LaLiga.

Olmo, 26, missed Barça's first two games of the season as the Catalan side were unable to register him because they remained in excess of their league-imposed spending limit, but his signing was finally processed this week and he made an instant impact in Vallecas.

The Spain international came off the bench at half-time and struck the decisive goal in the 82nd minute as Barça made it three wins from three to start of the season after Pedri had earlier cancelled out Unai López's ninth minute opener.

"I am really happy, really happy with the game and with the win," Olmo told ESPN. "It was a dream debut for me."

Olmo had been made to wait to make his competitive debut after signing in a €55 million deal from RB Leipzig earlier this summer following his exploits for Spain as La Roja won the European Championship.

However, the versatile forward, who came through Barça's academy before leaving for Dinamo Zagreb as a 16-year-old, said he always trusted the club would resolve the financial problems holding up his registration.

"It was a dream, of course, to come back," Olmo added. "I had no doubt when Barcelona knocked on my door. So I'm really happy to be here.

"I was confident the club [would sort out the registration]. I was ready, physically preparing for when I had the chance to start playing. Today I could make it, so I'm really, really happy how it went, how it finished and how it was really important for the team."

Barça coach Hansi Flick was also delighted with Olmo's performance after bringing him on for Ferran Torres at the break with his side trailing 1-0.

"He was waiting a long time to score a goal for Barça," Flick said in a news conference. "When he came on you saw we had more control with the ball. It was really good.

"For him, he brings that, the ball possession is really safe and also in front of the goal he knows how to score goals. For a midfield player it's not normal, but he's really good in this.

"I think the start of the second half was good for us and was the reason he was on the pitch. He's doing great, also without the ball, we are nearer the ball and pressing the opponent very good. He made the difference in the second half."

Olmo's winning goal ensured Barça became the only team in LaLiga to start the season with three straight wins -- a feat they have not achieved since the 2018-19 campaign under Ernesto Valverde.

Flick, though, is not getting carried away after wins against Valencia, Athletic Club and Rayo, insisting his thoughts are firmly fixed on the weekend's game at home Real Valladolid.

"Now we have nine points end everything is good, but it's not like this," Flick said. "We will analyse [the game] and on Saturday we have our next match and we have to play much better than in the first half.

"We defended good, but not perfect in the first half. At half-time I said to the team with 80% it's not possible to win here in this atmosphere with Rayo playing well, many long balls with fast players. It's not easy to defend this. We have to put more pressure on the ball and we did better in the second half."

Barça's win was tainted by a late injury to Marc Bernal, with sources telling ESPN the club fear the 17-year-old has suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury that could rule him out for the majority of the campaign.

"It's a sad victory because Marc is injured and it looks not so good," Flick said. "We have to wait until tomorrow to see how heavy it is. When you see the dressing room nobody is happy. He made a fantastic match -- 17-years-old and such a performance. It hurts."

- Sam Marsden and Moises Llorens

DANI OLMO OUT DUE TO REGISTRATION ISSUES

Photo by MANAURE QUINTERO/AFP via Getty Images

Dani Olmo will be forced to miss Saturday's LaLiga clash against Athletic Club after Barcelona lost their race to have him registered in time for the fixture, a source has told ESPN.

Olmo, 26, joined Barça from RB Leipzig for an initial €55 million ($61.6m) earlier this summer but his inscription with the league has not yet gone through due to the club's continued financial woes.

Barça remain in excess of their league-imposed annual spending limit -- a cap which all Spanish clubs have and is roughly determined by the difference between a team's revenue minus non-sporting outgoings and debt repayments -- and must reduce the wage bill and/or increase revenue to register new additions.

As a result, Olmo missed the opening-day win against Valencia last weekend.

He has been named in the squad to face Athletic, with Barça previously his inclusion was "pending the player registration being completed with LaLiga." Later on Saturday, the

Barça were working on a series of outgoings in an attempt to ensure Olmo is available for coach Hansi Flick on Saturday.

Ilkay Gündogan's departure to Manchester City has already been confirmed, while Clément Lenglet, Mikayil Faye and Vitor Roque are all close to leaving, too.

Sources confirmed to ESPN that Lenglet will sign a contract extension until 2027, spreading his remaining salary over two years instead of three, before going on a season long loan to LaLiga side Atlético Madrid.

Defender Faye is set to join French side Rennes for an initial €14m as part of a deal that includes various add-ons and clauses which would allow Barça to re-sign the young Senegal international in the future.

Roque, meanwhile, will join Real Betis on loan after failing to secure a place in Barça's first team following his €35m transfer from Club Athletico Paranaense in January.

Elsewhere, midfielder Fermín López makes the Barça squad for the first time this season after returning from some time off following success with Spain at the European Championships and the Olympic Games this summer.

There is no Andreas Christensen, though, who has an Achilles problem and is set for several weeks on the sidelines.

"I think he cannot help the team [at the moment] and he knows that," Flick said in a news conference on Friday. "Last year, he made many games only 60 minutes with problems. Now we take care of that."

Barça are also without long-term absentees Ronald Araújo, Gavi, Frenkie de Jong and Ansu Fati.

- Sam Marsden and Moises Llorens

BARCELONA REACH AGREEMENT WITH LEIPZIG TO SIGN OLMO -

ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- Barcelona have reached an agreement in principle with RB Leipzig for the transfer of midfielder Dani Olmo to the LaLiga giants, a source told ESPN.

The signing is pending agreement on final details and a medical on Thursday. Olmo is already in Barcelona with his agent and should join his new Barça teammates in training on Friday.

Barcelona sporting director Deco met with Leipzig representatives on Tuesday morning to complete the signing, which would total around €60 million ($65.6m). While the agreement is yet to be finalised, the source indicated that Barça, who have yet to add a summer signing, would agree to Leipzig's terms for the player.

The Spain international has become Barça's top target in this transfer window after they failed to sign Athletic Club forward Nico Williams.

"We are ready to talk about it," Marcel Schäfer, Leipzig's managing director for sport, said of Barça's interest in Olmo in a news conference on Tuesday. "But Dani has a certain value. Dani is an exceptional player."

Barça have already agreed to personal terms with Olmo, who is keen to return to the club he began his career at.

Olmo scored three goals at Euro 2024 to finish as the joint-winner of the Golden Boot and help Spain win the tournament.

The 26-year-old, whose contract at Leipzig expires in June 2027, has scored 29 goals in his four seasons at the club.

Meanwhile, Williams returned to preseason training at Athletic Club on Tuesday.

"I'm back, I'm looking forward to this season, let's go Athletic," he said in a video shared by the club on X.

ESPN's Adriana Garcia and Sam Marsden contributed to this report.

- Jordi Blanco and Moises Llorens