Report reveals what caused delay in Joao Cancelo Barcelona announcement | OneFootball

It sometimes feels as though calm never truly settles at FC Barcelona, and yesterday, once again reinforced that perception. What should have been a straightforward announcement of the winter arrival of Joao Cancelo instead turned into a confusing sequence of events marked by delays and deleted statements.

Barcelona announced through their official channels that they had signed the Portuguese full-back on loan from Al Hilal until the end of the season, confirming that Joao Cancelo would wear the No. 2 shirt. However, just minutes later, all references to the announcement were removed, raising immediate questions about the status of the deal.

The background to the situation is now clear. Cancelo’s contract signing had been scheduled for 1:00 pm, with his media presentation planned for 1:30 pm. The player arrived on time at President Joan Laporta’s office, where Deco, Rafa Yuste, and Joan Soler were also present to formalise the agreement.

At the last minute, according to Mundo Deportivo, Al Hilal requested the inclusion of a tax residency certificate as part of the loan documentation. Since the Saudi club is paying part of Cancelo’s salary, this document was required for the transfer to be considered legally complete. Crucially, it needed to be signed by Al Hilal’s CEO, who could not be located immediately.

Between verifying the document, finding the executive to sign it, and sending it back to Barcelona, time passed, and the process stalled. Despite this, Barça had already published their announcement on social media and their official website, even recalling Cancelo’s previous spell at the club during the 2023–24 season.

Once it became clear that the paperwork was still incomplete, the club opted to delete the announcement, effectively admitting that it had acted too hastily. The official unveiling and press conference were postponed and eventually took place at 4:45 pm, marking a delay of three hours and 45 minutes from the original schedule.

While the episode caused visible confusion and some embarrassment, it was never a sporting or contractual dispute. It was purely an administrative holdup. Once the tax residency certificate was signed and approved, the deal was able to move forward. It served as a reminder that at Barcelona, even a completed transfer is not truly done until the final document is signed and stamped.