FIFA reject appeal, ban Barcelona from signing players in next two transfer windows

Barcelona fans unfurled a banner in april reading “Don't touch the Masia” after the FIFA sanction against FC Barcelona

FIFA have rejected Barcelona’s appeal to reconsider the transfer ban and the Catalan club will now be banned from signing any players in the next two transfer windows. The club were banned in March from signing any players but appealed against the ruling which allowed them to sign players in this transfer window.

The ban doesn’t affect their business in this transfer window, which will close on September 1.

The ban will take effect in the winter transfer window during the 2014/15 season in January and the summer transfer window in the summer of 2015.

The Catalan club have also been fined £297,000 because of “breaches relating to the international transfer and registration of players under the age of 18.”

They have already signed a number of players including Luis Suarez, Ivan Rakitic, Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Claudio Bravo, Thomas Vermaelen and Jeremy Mathieu.

FIFA Statement

The statement released by FIFA said: “FC Barcelona is to serve a transfer ban which will see the club prevented from registering any players at both national and international level for two complete and consecutive transfer periods, starting with the next registration period (January 2015) given that the appeal of the club had been granted suspensive effect by the chairman of the FIFA Appeal Committee.

“FC Barcelona has also been ordered to pay a fine of CHF 450,000 and been given a period of 90 days from today in which to regularise the situation of all minor players concerned.

“Meanwhile, the RFEF has been ordered to pay a fine of CHF 500,000 and granted a period of one year in which to regularise their regulatory framework and existing system concerning the international transfer of minors in football.”

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