http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/26852466

Spanish champions Barcelona have been given a 14-month transfer ban by Fifa for breaking rules on signing international players under 18.
The Catalan club cannot buy or sell players until the summer of 2015 after the world governing body imposed a transfer ban for the next two windows.
They have also been fined 450,000 Swiss Francs (£305,000).
Fifa has also sanctioned the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) for the same breaches.

Didn't even know this was in the pipeline.

It matters very little that they can't sign international players under 18 for two years. I'd rather they get a proper punishment for the Neymar shenanigans.

They've been banned from signing any player no?

I can understand not being able to buy but being banned from selling seems a little bizarre to me. What if a player is desperate to leave?

Ofty, the title of the thread is VERY misleading. IT ONLY APPLIES FOR INTERNATIONAL PLAYERS UNDER THE AGE OF 18!

According to who? The FIFA statement makes no mention of the age of players. They've been banned for breaking rules relating to signing players under the age of 18. Learn to read mate.

goon wrote:

They've been banned from signing any player no?

I can understand not being able to buy but being banned from selling seems a little bizarre to me. What if a player is desperate to leave?

Think Dules is saying that if they cant being anyone in they wont be letting anyone go either. Although Valdes is out of contract this summer and Puyol has been granted a release too.

Rex is off in his own little world I see. Lol.

Ehem. Just read through that a bit more carefully. You may have a point... 🙂

Never mind me in my own little world. My world is a dark place, and Barcelona getting a proper punishment was a bit too good to make sense.

Timothy wrote:
goon wrote:

They've been banned from signing any player no?

I can understand not being able to buy but being banned from selling seems a little bizarre to me. What if a player is desperate to leave?

Think Dules is saying that if they cant being anyone in they wont be letting anyone go either. Although Valdes is out of contract this summer and Puyol has been granted a release too.

Rex is off in his own little world I see. Lol.

The BBC article says they can't buy or sell too. Don't think Barca will be fussed but one or two players who intended to leave might not be too happy.

Who's their backup keeper? They're going to end up with some clown in goal.

they WILL be fussed. their defense is a shambles. they need top quality centre backs. Puyol might need to stick around another year.

Rex wrote:

Ofty, the title of the thread is VERY misleading. IT ONLY APPLIES FOR INTERNATIONAL PLAYERS UNDER THE AGE OF 18!

Rex, don't be the cap in CAPS LOCK.

Pinto! He was hilarious yesterday, and has pretty much acted like a total loose cannon every time I have seen him play in the cups.

Surely, players whose contracts are up must be allowed to leave? Also, I guess we can stop even talking about Song as an option then.

They still have Bartra, Mascherano, Pique and Song who can all do a job at CB. Don't exactly see that as some sort of crisis.

This is kind of fantastic. Hope it holds up. Also gives me renewed hope that FFP will be enforced.

It does, doesn't it? 🙂

What counts as a buy/transfer, by the way? Can they still extend existing contracts during this period? Could they pay Valdes a shitload of money to get him to extend his current deal with a year, for instance?

And what about Alves? His contract is up in the summer but they haven't gotten around to extend it yet. Will they lose both their first choice rightback and their first choice keeper without being able to replace them?

One can always hope!

Would you guys take Alves here? 🙂

i'm sure they will find a way to re-sign their own players.
i wonder to what extent they will be able to use loan signings, e.g., pay Spurs 2m pounds for one season so they can use Dawson.

What are the chances of this actually sticking. Remember Chelsea had a similar sanction rescinded. I expect the same here.