Real Madrid had nothing to do with Barcelona ban, says club vice-president Pedro Lopez Jimenez

Pedro Lopez Jimenez

Real Madrid’s vice-president, Pedro Lopez Jiminez, who is also a member of FIFA’s player status committee denied their involvement with regards to the ban imposed on Barcelona.

Barcelona were banned from participating in the next two transfer windows due to breach of rules regarding the signing and registering of players under the age of 18.

Barcelona have said they will appeal against their punishment. Many at Barcelona have pointed their finger towards Pedro Lopez and have accused the Madrid vice-president of playing a role in the punishment.

Euro Sport quoted Jimenez: “Neither Real Madrid nor myself as a member of FIFA have anything to do with the punishment given to Barcelona,” AS reports Lopez as saying.

“My membership of the player status committee has nothing to do with Madrid or Florentino Perez.

“I have it under the proposal of the European Club of Association, to which Madrid also belongs.”

He further added: “Neither of the two meetings I have attended have discussed a possible penalty for Barca,” he continued.

“What was discussed was Barca’s request to award a badge of excellence to its sporting academies, including La Masia, which the record will show I voted for.

“I wish to make it clear that the committee to which I belong has no sanctioning power.

“We study the files we receive but the sanction to Barca is the responsibility of the disciplinary committee of FIFA which, fortunately for what has happened, I have nothing to do with. Neither I nor Madrid, of course.”

Discussing the issue of children, he opined: “The big clubs are the first to collaborate with child protection, but unfortunately it is true that there has been marketing of minors and FIFA is worried about it.

“I don’t think that is the case at any of the big clubs. But you have to analyse and reflect on the rules to help us differentiate between cases.”