FIFA TODAY BANNED Spanish giants Barcelona from buying or selling players for the next two transfer windows for “serious” breaches of rules on under-age players.
FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee found Barcelona and the Spanish Football Association (RFEF) guilty of making or allowing illegal deals.
As well as the transfer ban, which will effectively last 14 months, FIFA fined Barcelona 450,000 Swiss francs, (€369,000).
The Spanish champions were given 90 days to regularise the situation of all 10 minor players concerned.
The club made no immediate official reaction but are expected to appeal against the shock sanction.
The ban is a new blow to the image of Europe’s most successful club of the 21st Century following alleged tax evasion in its signing of star Brazilian Neymar.
If upheld, the ban would have serious consequences for Barcelona, especially with veterans Carles Puyol and injured goalkeeper Victor Valdes set to leave in June.
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The Catalans were expected to complete the signing of German international goalkeeper Andre Ter-Stegen to replace Valdes.
Croatian international Alen Halilovic’s move to the club, officially announced last week, is however authorised under FIFA’s rules.
In February last year FIFA banned six Barcelona youth team players from competitive games, Lee Seung-Woo, Paik Seung-Ho and Jang Gyeol-Hee from South Korea, Patrice Sousia of Cameroon, France’s Theo Chendri and Bobby Adekanye, a Nigerian-Dutch teenager.
In 2010, FIFA imposed a similar transfer window ban against Chelsea over the signing of French youngster Gael Kakuta. It was overturned after Chelsea reached an agreement with the player’s former club Lens.
The Disciplinary Committee regarded the infringements as serious and decided to sanction the club with a transfer ban at both national and international level for two complete and consecutive transfer periods,” a FIFA statement announced.
The dramatic sanction follows an investigation last year by FIFA, whose rules state that a player has to be 18 to be transferred, unless the player falls into one of three specific cases.
FIFA fined the Spanish federation 500,000 Swiss francs for their role in the under-age player affair and gave them one year to modify rules concerning international transfers of minors.
FIFA found Barcelona and the Spanish federation guilty of illegal deals involving “the international transfer and first registration of non-Spanish minors with the club”.
The dates of the Spanish transfer windows covered by Wednesday’s punishment are July 1-August 31 for the pre-season window and January 1-February 1 for the mid-season window.
The world body looked at cases involving players signed by Barcelona between 2009 and 2013.
Sanction
International rules ban any transfer of a minor unless the player’s parents have moved country; the move takes place within the European Union if a player is aged between 16 and 18; or the player’s home is less than 50 kilometers (31 miles) from the national border being crossed.
Barcelona were caught out by FIFA’s web-based Transfer Matching System which became mandatory for all international transfers of professional male footballers in October 2010.
FIFA said it took the protection of minors in football “very seriously”, and warned that “young football players are vulnerable to exploitation and abuse in a foreign country without the proper controls.”
The sanction came less than 24 hours after Barcelona’s 1-1 draw with Atletico Madrid in the Champions League quarter-final first leg.
Barca’s goal was scored by Neymar, whose scandal-mired transfer triggered the downfall of Barca president Sandro Rosell and saw the club indicted for an alleged tax fraud of 13.5 million euros.
Barca have protested their innocence throughout the Neymar inquiry by a Spanish judge.
It’s very odd that they have gotten away with this for so long. Their academy is full of Brazilians, Argentines, Koreans etc. Are all their dads working as cleaners or security men around the place then?
Lies, lies and damned statistics. Look at the story behind your FACT! Suppression of Barcelona FC after the Civil War was led by a Real Madrid supporting General Franco. Expressions of Catalan identity were banned and there was no better way of impressing the superiority of Castillian Spain than through football. This led to the appropriation of Alfredo Di Stefano from Barca after one game. Even directly after the Civil War, most of the Barcelona team went into exile in Mexico or France. Those who ended up in Mexico were led there by Patrick O’Connell, then Barcelona manager. They didn’t win more leagues because they were better. They won them because they were more powerful off the pitch. Its like saying that Steaua Bucharest being the best team in Romania during the eighties had nothing to do with Caeaucescu.
Macruiskeen, interesting that you start your post with “lies, lies and damned statistics” and then go onto to spin a completely false interpretation of the di Stefano transfer.
Won’t cause any hassle, they agreed deals for Ter Stegen and Halilovic before this ban and those two are their future. That’s if the ban even holds up, look at Chelsea’s…
True, Chelsea’s ban was easily resolved, but I mean that FIFA/UEFA most likely won’t follow through with this, I’m sure a brown envelope similar to the one slipped to Neymar Snr a couple or years ago will do the job
Valdes isn’t leaving in June. He’s out for 7 months (til November) with a serious knee injury. No team will take a crock. Puyol might reconsider leaving too. Barca were on the verge of really strengthening their squad with a top defender or two, thereby cementing their return to the top (assuming they take this year’s Liga title yet again). It will be good to see them having to rely on their current excellent squad for a year – Neymar will have bedded in properly by next season, and will take their swan lake performances to a level not even the Mariinsky Ballet could match. They don’t half pass it well though. Presumably, players will be allowed to leave though, since European workers’ rights would mean they couldn’t be forced to stay. United have already approached them about Pedro.
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Phew, at least Fellaini won’t be leaving us now for at least 12 months..
http://media1.sulia.com/static/user_images/92/2013-12-09/9c4fca99-891b-4c86-b478-77ce732f0563.jpg
Barca are not the messiah, they’re very naughty boys.
But they are the messiah -I should know I’ve followed enough of them ;)
Knowing FIFA they will appeal and it will be reduced to one window ban!!!
That’s exactly what will happen!
It will be reduced to just a fine.
Always happens with the giant clubs
What about General Franco’s Team. Any one investigate them or are they getting a free bailout again.
if you have any evidence Begrudgy, offer it up!
Hope they’re appropriately punished for the Neymar deal too
It’s very odd that they have gotten away with this for so long. Their academy is full of Brazilians, Argentines, Koreans etc. Are all their dads working as cleaners or security men around the place then?
Q: Are they allowed sign free agents?
Real Madrid are better than Barca. FACT!!!
How did Barca win the El Clasico, then?
More La Ligas, more European Cups. Better. Not barred from signing players. FACT!!!!!
Lies, lies and damned statistics. Look at the story behind your FACT! Suppression of Barcelona FC after the Civil War was led by a Real Madrid supporting General Franco. Expressions of Catalan identity were banned and there was no better way of impressing the superiority of Castillian Spain than through football. This led to the appropriation of Alfredo Di Stefano from Barca after one game. Even directly after the Civil War, most of the Barcelona team went into exile in Mexico or France. Those who ended up in Mexico were led there by Patrick O’Connell, then Barcelona manager. They didn’t win more leagues because they were better. They won them because they were more powerful off the pitch. Its like saying that Steaua Bucharest being the best team in Romania during the eighties had nothing to do with Caeaucescu.
*Ceausescu
Liam, that’s the past this is present
Lol. Cheating Catalans!
It’s not funny.
Delighted. Fifa dishin’ out a nice cold slice of Justice!!!
Shine being stuck with pinto in goal… Disaster.
That’ll hurt at the ‘camp nou’ sign
Macruiskeen, interesting that you start your post with “lies, lies and damned statistics” and then go onto to spin a completely false interpretation of the di Stefano transfer.
Any reply from Barca on this it should only affect the B team
Won’t cause any hassle, they agreed deals for Ter Stegen and Halilovic before this ban and those two are their future. That’s if the ban even holds up, look at Chelsea’s…
Chelsea ‘winning’ their appeal versus their transfer ban in 2010 (re. Kakuta) is not a relevant precedent for Barca.
Chelsea and Lens reached a settlement of.£1 million and Lens dropped charges.
Barca case involves 10 players and multiple breaches. Still, the case is sure to end up in CAS.
And the Neymar case is still to be ruled on!
True, Chelsea’s ban was easily resolved, but I mean that FIFA/UEFA most likely won’t follow through with this, I’m sure a brown envelope similar to the one slipped to Neymar Snr a couple or years ago will do the job
Valdes isn’t leaving in June. He’s out for 7 months (til November) with a serious knee injury. No team will take a crock. Puyol might reconsider leaving too. Barca were on the verge of really strengthening their squad with a top defender or two, thereby cementing their return to the top (assuming they take this year’s Liga title yet again). It will be good to see them having to rely on their current excellent squad for a year – Neymar will have bedded in properly by next season, and will take their swan lake performances to a level not even the Mariinsky Ballet could match. They don’t half pass it well though. Presumably, players will be allowed to leave though, since European workers’ rights would mean they couldn’t be forced to stay. United have already approached them about Pedro.
I hope atletico Madrid win…just to shake it up over there!
2 horse race getting boring..