FIFA Ban Barcelona, Spanish FA

The world football governing body, FIFA, has handed Barcelona a tranfer ban for the next two transfer windows, for breaching rules relating to the international transfer of players under the age of 18. The Catalan club has also been fined a cash sum of 450,000 Swiss Francs(€369,000).

FIFA also sanction the Spanish FA(Real Federacion Espanola de Futbol, RFEF) for similar offences and were fined 500,000 Swiss Francs (€410,000)


"The RFEF and FC Barcelona were found to have violated several provisions concerning the international transfer and first registration of non-Spanish minors with the club," Fifa said.

"Barcelona has been found to be in breach of... the regulations in the case of ten minor players and to have committed several other concurrent infringements in the context of other players," it added.

The sanction follows investigations initially conducted by Fifa Transfer Matching System (Fifa TMS) over the course of last year and subsequently by the Fifa Disciplinary Committee as part of disciplinary proceedings.

Barcelona were found to have violated several provisions concerning the international transfer and first registration of non-Spanish minors with the club, as well as other relevant regulations with regard to the registration and participation of certain players in national competitions.

The investigations concerned several minor players who were registered and participated in competitions with the club over various periods between 2009 and 2013.

RFEF and Barcelona are said to have violated article 19 of the Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players, which says 'international transfers of players are only permitted if the player is over the age of 18, with the exception of three limited circumstances and such exceptions may only be granted after evaluation by the sub-committee of the Players' Status Committee.'

"The Disciplinary Committee underlined that Fifa takes the protection of minors in football very seriously," said Fifa.

"The protection of minors is one of the key principles included in the agreement concluded between Fifa, (European governing body) Uefa and the European Commission in 2001.

"The Disciplinary Committee acknowledged that 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."

Additionally, FIFA has given Barcelona a period of 90 days to regularise the situation of all minor players concerned and Spanish FA, a period of one year in which to regularise their regulatory framework and existing system concerning the international transfer of minors in football.

"On the basis of this analysis, the committee concluded that 'the interest in protecting the appropriate and healthy development of a minor as a whole must prevail over purely sporting interests'," said the FIFA statement.

The sanction means Barcelona can neither sign nor sell any of its players until the summer of 2015.