April 24 – Barcelona have appealed their two-transfer window ban and been granted a suspension while the appeals process works through FIFA and ultimately any further appeal to the court of arbitration for sport.
The suspension means Barcelona are free to sign players in the summer transfer.
Barcelona were originally handed the transfer ban, fined CHF450,000 ($509,000) and given it 90 days to “regularise the situation of all minor (under 18) players”. The Spanish federation (RFEF) has also been fined CHF500,000 for breaking transfer and first registration rules for a number of ‘minor’ players.
A FIFA statement said at the time: “The RFEF and FC Barcelona were found to have violated several provisions concerning the international transfer and first registration of non-Spanish minors with the club, as well as other relevant regulations with regard to the registration and participation of certain players in national competitions. The investigations concerned several minor players who were registered and participated in competitions with the club over various periods between 2009 and 2013.”
The chairman of the FIFA Appeal Committee, Larry Mussenden, took the decision after considering “the complexity of the matter, the start date of the next registration period – 1 July 2014 – and the fact that the FIFA Appeal Committee does not seem in a position to take a decision on the main issue early enough so that an eventual appeal of the club against its decision before the Court of Arbitration for Sport would still be decided before the beginning of the next registration period.”
Hence Mussenden granted the “suspensive effect” Barcelona had requested.
The decision by FIFA will be a relief for Barcelona who are losing a number of older players who have been key to the club’s recent successes. The club will now be able to continue its rebuilding programme.
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