FC Barcelona and Spanish FA appeals denied by FIFA
In April, when the FIFA Disciplinary Committee issued the sanctions, FC Barcelona and RFEF lodged an appeal with the FIFA Appeal Committee including a request that the transfer ban be suspended while the appeal was pending.
The request for suspension was granted, but today, FIFA issued a statement confirming that the sanctions will come into force.
According to the FIFA statement, FC Barcelona will be serving a transfer ban for two complete and consecutive transfer periods, starting January 2015 and the club has been ordered to pay a fine of CHF 450.000 and a period of 90 days to regularise the situation of all the minor players concerned in the case.
The RFEF will have to pay a fine of CHF 500.000 and will have to regularise the regulatory framework and existing system concerning the international transfer of minors in football within one year.
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Fighting for the lost football kids
Through his organisation Foot Solidaire, Jean-Claude Mbvoumin has dedicated more than 14 years of his life to the fight against illegal trafficking of young African footballers. It is a fight that is far from over – and one that FIFA recently brought to light through the sanctioning of FC Barcelona and the club’s exploitation of young players.
Major European clubs and anonymous investment funds are fighting across cities, countries and continents over football’s new gold – talented minors.
FIFA has punished FC Barcelona for trading children. But this is only the tip of the iceberg. The trade of minors is standard practice in European football – and has been for years. Now, for the first time since the sanctions against the Spanish club were issued, FIFA responds to enquiries regarding the case.