Bisiwu stopped by paperwork again. LaLiga approval still pending
Jesse Bisiwu has been left out of FC Barcelona’s squad for their opening league match against Elche. He has not been ruled out by an injury or a sporting decision from Hansi Flick. According to “Mundo Deportivo”, the 18-year-old winger has been stopped by administrative formalities.
The Belgian already holds a reserve-team licence, but he is still waiting for the necessary authorisation from LaLiga. The outstanding issue reportedly concerns paperwork connected to his visa, which has not yet received final approval.
That distinction matters. Bisiwu is not waiting to be registered as a first-team player under the same conditions that previously affected Rodri, Anthony Gordon, Karim Adeyemi and João Cancelo. Barcelona have registered him with the reserve team, which would allow Flick to call him up, but LaLiga must first clear the remaining documentation.
That approval has not arrived. Bisiwu is consequently missing from the official 23-man squad travelling to Elche. Cancelo, Gordon and Adeyemi are all included, alongside six players connected to the academy or reserve setup: Andrés Cuenca, Jofre Pesquer, Xavi Espart, Brian Fariñas, Marc Bernal and Hamza Abdelkarim.
Rodri is also absent, but his situation is completely different. Flick confirmed that the midfielder is not yet physically ready and is expected to return to full group training on Monday. His name is already in LaLiga’s system. Bisiwu is still waiting for the final administrative stamp.
For the young Belgian, it means a potential competitive debut has been postponed. Bisiwu has already represented Barcelona during preseason, making his first appearance against Udinese. The club highlighted his intelligent movement, involvement in the build-up and willingness to attack defenders.
Barcelona signed Bisiwu from Club Brugge on a contract running until 30 June 2031. He joined the first team during preseason and is even listed among the senior players on the club’s official website. He has already shown on the pitch why Barcelona invested in him. He is simply not yet allowed to show it in a competitive match.
The club successfully registered its major summer arrivals over the previous few days. Cancelo, Gordon and Adeyemi are available against Elche, while Rodri has also been cleared by LaLiga despite being short of full fitness. Barcelona’s traditional August registration drama appeared to have reached its final episode.
There was, naturally, a post-credits scene. This time the problem does not concern the salary limit, the sale of an asset or documents arriving from Saudi Arabia. It concerns the visa of an 18-year-old registered with the reserve team.
Bisiwu has signed his contract, completed his presentation, trained with the first team and appeared in preseason matches. Only one item remains missing: permission to play for points. At Barcelona, the final step has an impressive habit of becoming the longest one.
Sources: “Mundo Deportivo” – Barcelona squad and Bisiwu’s situation | FC Barcelona – official squad for Elche | FC Barcelona – Bisiwu signing
