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 after the cut…
‘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.’
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.
