Barcelona to appeal to CAS after FIFA uphold transfer embargo

• Posted on August 21, 2014August 21, 2014
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

Barcelona are appealing to the Court of Arbitration for Sport after FIFA upheld their transfer embargo until January 2016.

The world’s football governing body turned down the Catalan club’s appeal to overturn a two-window transfer ban, which was originally imposed in April due to concerns over the ‘international transfer of minors’.

Barca spent £128.5m recruiting seven players this summer, including Luis Suarez from Liverpool, while their suspension was put on hold during the appeals process.

A club statement read: “Regarding the resolution handed by FIFA’s appeal committee with regards to the transfer and registrations of players under 18, FC Barcelona announces that it will continue to defend its interests to the highest sporting legal court, in this case the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

“FC Barcelona cannot agree in any way with the resolution that goes against the spirit of our Masia (Barcelona’s youth academy), an example of academic, human and sporting development, recognised worldwide.”

The FIFA ruling means there will be no new arrivals at the Nou Camp between this September and January 2016 – provided CAS do not overturn the ruling – but they will be free to add to their squad between now and the end of the current window on August 31.

A FIFA statement read: “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).

“Barcelona has also been ordered to pay a fine of 450,000 Swiss francs (£296,000) and been given a period of 90 days from today in which to regularise the situation of all minor players concerned.”

The Spanish Football Federation, fined as part of the initial verdict, also had an appeal rejected.