6 clubs that have been handed transfer bans in recent years

The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has announced that European giants Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid will be given a transfer ban which prohibits them from registering players for the next two transfer windows. The clubs from the Spanish capital are one of many clubs to have received transfer bans in recent years.In 2009, Chelsea were banned from registering new players in the winter and summer transfer windows of 2010 after FIFA’s dispute resolution chamber found that Gael Kakuta had breached his contract with French club Lens to join Chelsea in 2007 and Chelsea had persuaded him to do so. The ban was lifted quickly after Chelsea agreed to pay a compensation.Like Chelsea, many other well-known European clubs were also given similar bans and here is a look at six such teams.

#1 AS Roma

Roma were given a ban for the transfer of Mexes

In June 2004, Roma signed French international Philippe Mexes from Auxerre on a four year contract. However, Roma was later found guilty of encouraging Mexes to break his contract with Auxerre to join them.

According to the investigation that was carried out by FIFA, Auxerre didn’t agree to the transfer and the move went ahead based on the decision of the player. Mexes was given a six week suspension for his actions and Roma was given a one year transfer ban by FIFA.

Roma approached the Court of Aberrations for Sports (CAS) to resolve the matter. CAS held up the ban imposed by FIFA, but ruled that Roma would be free to sign any player after the January 2006 window because Roma had already served five weeks suspension during the 2005 summer transfer window.

Auxerre were entitled for a compensation as the player’s contract did not expire and CAS ordered Roma to pay seven million euros to Auxerre and thus slightly reduced the eight million euros set by FIFA.

CAS stated that Roma had “not only encouraged Mexes to break his contract, but actively provoked the break”.

#2 Portsmouth

Portsmouth owed Arsenal money for the transfer of Diarra

Former FA Cup winners, Portsmouth, fell down the English league ladder following their monetary crisis after being crowned as the FA Cup champions.

In 2009, the Premier League sanctioned a transfer ban on the club because of their debts to other Premier League clubs. The ban was indefinite and would only be lifted when the club cleared its debts.

The transfers in question were those of Glen Johnson’s move from Chelsea in 2007 and Lassana Diarra’s move from Arsenal in 2008. Interestingly, both players were no longer at the club when the club was hit with the ban as Portsmouth sold Glen Johnson to Liverpool for £17.5m and Lassana Diarra to Real Madrid for £18.9m. The fee the club received for these players was significantly larger than the one they were supposed to pay for these players in the first place.

It was also found that Portsmouth owed money to Udinese for the transfer of Sulley Muntari. The club reached an agreement with Udinese over a reported £3.5m they owed the Italian club and the Premier League lifted the transfer ban very late in the January transfer window of 2010 stating that Portsmouth has no outstanding debts to football clubs as of this date. However the club could only bring in free transfers and loan signings.

#3 Rangers

The club’s owner Craig Whyte was banned for life from any involvement in Scottish football.

In 2012, Scottish club Rangers received a transfer ban and other punishments. The 12-month transfer ban was given by Scottish Football Association for bringing the game into disrepute.

The Glasgow club also went into administration and were fined £160,000 in total, of which £100,000 was for breaching rule 66 – bringing the game into disrepute. A 50,000 fine was given for going into administration and the remaining £10,000 for failing to ensure that the club’s owner Craig Whyte acted within the rules.

Whyte was banned for life from any involvement in Scottish football. He was charged with three breaches and was found guilty of two with the other not proven. As for Rangers, they were found charged with six breaches and were found guilty of five with the other not proven.

The transfer embargo meant that Rangers were allowed to sign only under 18 players during the summer window of 2012 and the winter window of 2013.

The former Scottish giants went downhill from there and now ply their trade in the Scottish Championship.

#4 Barcelona

Barcelona’s teenage prodigy Lee Seung-woo was affected by the transfer ban.

Coming to one of the most famous and controversial transfer bans in recent history – the transfer ban given to FC Barcelona.

In April 2014, Barcelona were given a transfer embargo for two consecutive windows starting in June 2014 and a fine of £350,000 for breaches relating to the international transfers of players under the age of 18. The Spanish Football Federation were also sanctioned for the same breaches.

According to FIFA’s regulations, the transfer of minors were accepted only in three scenarios – the player’s parents have moved to another country for non-related reasons; the move takes place within the European union if the player is aged between 16 and 18; or the player’s home is less than 50 kilometres from the national border being crossed.

The ban was temporarily lifted in the summer transfer window of 2014, giving the club the chance to sign the players they needed and Barcelona used the opportunity to sign Luis Suarez, Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Claudio Bravo, Jeremy Mathieu and Thomas Vermaelen. The move to lift the ban temporarily and allow the club to sign all necessary players was controversial.

Barcelona appealed to CAS to lift the ban, but it was upheld and the club was banned from registering new players during the transfer windows of 2015. However, Barcelona did sign Arda Turan and Aleix Vidal when the ban was in place, but the players were only allowed to play for the team once the ban was over.

#5 Atletico Madrid

Atletico Madrid were found to have violated several provisions.

The transfer ban handed to Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid is the latest in the list of transfer bans given to European clubs.

“The clubs were found to have violated several provisions concerning the international transfer and first registration of minor players as well as other relevant provisions with regard to the registration and participation of certain players in competitions”, FIFA said in a statement.

Atletico will not be allowed to register new players in the summer transfer window on 2016 and the winter transfer window of 2017, but the club is free to sign any player in the ongoing winter transfer window. Additionally, Atletico were also given an $893,000 fine.

Atletico Madrid have announced that they will appeal like Barcelona did when the Catalan club was hit with a ban and the club president has called the ban a ‘huge injustice’.

"We do not agree with the sanctioning ruling from the international football body and are studying the documentation received to lodge an appeal," Atletico said in a club statement.

The ban was given based on investigations concerning minors who were involved and participated in competitions with the club over various periods between 2007 and 2014.

#6 Real Madrid

Real Madrid were handed a transfer ban for registration of players under the age of 18

Real Madrid were also given a transfer ban along with their neighbours Atletico Madrid for the breach of FIFA rules regarding the registration of players under the age of 18.

Like in the case of Atletico, Real will also be barred from registering new players for two consecutive transfer windows after the January 2016 window closes. Real Madrid is thus given the freedom to sign any player of their choice in the next two weeks. FIFA have also given Real a fine of $360,000.

The players in question in case of Real’s ban featured for the club between 2005 and 2014, according to FIFA.

Real Madrid’s club general director Jose Angel Sanchez called the ban absurd because the list of players in question included the sons of current Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane. Another player who featured in the list is the younger brother of former Real Madrid player Ezquiel Garay. Sanchez has promised that the club will use all means necessary to contest the penalty.

FIFA issued reprimands to both clubs and gave them 90 days to bring the situation of all minor players under regulations.