FIFA decided to flex its collective muscle on one of its model franchises yesterday when an investigation uncovered that FC Barcelona was mishandling their transactions involving athletes under the age of 18.
Their statement read in part:
“The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has sanctioned the Real Federacion Espanola de Futbol (RFEF) and Spanish club FC Barcelona for breaches relating to the international transfer and registration of players under the age of 18.
“The investigations concerned several minor players who were registered and participated in competitions with the club over various periods between 2009 and 2013.”
It looks like the summer and winter transfer windows will now remain without Barca's participation. The club plans to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS)- which is notorious for voting in favor of people they like and voting against those they don't regardless of the evidence presented.
There are select conditions involved in youth transfers and FIFA claims that Barca violated the terms on ten players and also fined them the equivalent of a little over $500,000- which, for Barca as a franchise, is around seven dollars of their budget...
Barca will have some transfer decisions this off-season including both goalies and Carles Puyol, so it will be interesting to see if the deals they have in place for replacements will be able to stick...
Here's Valdes' injury that will keep him out for seven months and keep Barca fans gnashing their collective teeth...
((HT: UEFA))
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