Barcelona will not be able to register all four of their new signings for the knockout stages of the Europa League.
The Blaugrana brought in Ferran Torres from Manchester City, Dani Alves from Sao Paulo after his contract was terminated, Adama Traore on an initial loan from Wolves, and recently confirmed the free transfer of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Arsenal at the end of a hectic transfer window.
While these four players will be able to help Barça in their push for a top-four finish in La Liga, at least one will miss out on their upcoming Europa League campaign.
UEFA rules state clubs can only make three additions to their squads for the knockout stages of European competitions.
Barcelona dropped into the Europa League for the first time since its rebrand from the UEFA Cup after coming third in their Champions League group, finishing behind Bayern Munich and Benfica.
Xavi’s men have been drawn to face Napoli in the preliminary knockout round in a matchup between two of Diego Maradona’s former sides. The first leg takes place at Camp Nou on February 17 before the return fixture a week later.
The winners of the Europa League are granted a spot in next season’s Champions League, offering Barcelona another route back into Europe’s premier club competition.
The Blaugrana currently sit fifth in La Liga, though they are only a point behind Atletico Madrid in fourth.
Credit: 90min.com
