Barcelona have been hit with a ban on transfers for the next two windows as a result of dealings with underage players.
Barcelona’s transfer dealings have come under the microscope in recent months, with the circumstances surrounding the Neymar deal grabbing plenty of headlines and forcing president Sandro Rosell to resign, but there has been huge news today with regard to the their dealings at minor (u18s) level too.
In an official FIFA statement, they have been found to be in breach of article 19 of the regulations (which states that players under the age of 18 cannot be transferred internationally) in the case of ten minor players, and have been hit with a transfer ban for two consecutive windows, meaning that they won’t be able to make any buys in the summer or in the January 2015 window.
They were also hit with two fines totaling CHF 950,000 (around €778,000), but the club have been given 90 days to sort everything out, which may result in the ban being reduced. If it does stick, however, it will be a pretty huge precedent, and will have a massive impact on the side, with players retiring and leaving the club this summer.
