FIFA has rejected Barcelona’s appeal against the transfer ban placed upon the Catalan club after they were adjudged to have signed a number of minors illegally. The world football governing body revealed its final decision after Barca launched an appeal. FIFA’s official statement confirms the Blaugrana cannot sign any player at “both national and international level for two complete and consecutive transfer periods,” meaning any Camp Nou arrivals after this summer will need to wait until January of 2016.
An official club statement indicated Barca will fight the charges. “FC Barcelona may not in any way share a resolution that is an affront to the spirit of our Masia, a world renowned example of academic, human and sporting education. Barcelona’s La Masia academy is one of world football’s most famous and prides itself on providing young players with the ability to develop both their sporting and educational skills. A plethora of world-class graduates have played defining roles in the club’s history, including Pep Guardiola, Carles Puyol, Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta and Lionel Messi.
