GOBE!! FIFA bans Barcelona from signing players for the next two transfer seasons

FIFA today April 2nd banned Spanish
football giants FC Barcelona from signing
players till summer 2015 over rules breach
relating to the international transfer and
registration of players under 18.


According to reports, the club was
investigated by FIFA for 12 months over their youth recruitment policy. And after FIFA found out that the club had been engaged in illegally recruiting and importing non- Spanish minors over a four year period, the world football governing body handed out the transfer ban and also fined the club £306,000. (450,000 Swiss francs.)

FIFA also fined the Spanish FA £340,000 for
allowing Barcelona to embark on a sustained and extended policy of what is viewed as child exploitation by the world governing body. Read FIFA's statement Below...

'FC Barcelona has been found to be in
breach of article 19 of the regulations in
the case of 10 minor players and to have
committed several other concurrent
infringements in the context of other
players.

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, together with a fine of 450,000 Swiss francs.

'Additionally, the club was granted a
period of 90 days in which to regularise
the situation of all minor players
concerned.'

'The disciplinary committee emphasised
that the protection of minors in the
context of international transfers is an
important social and legal issue that
concerns all stakeholders in football.

'The committee highlighted that while
international transfers might, in specific
cases, be favourable to a young player's
sporting career, they are very likely to be
contrary to the best interests of the
player as a minor.

'Young football players are vulnerable
to exploitation and abuse in a foreign
country without the proper controls.
This particular fact makes the protection
of minors in football by the sport's
governing bodies, especially by FIFA, even more important.'

FIFA only allows international youth
transfers when one of three situations apply: the player's parents have moved country for their own, non-related reasons; 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 kilometres from the national border being crossed.