Barca Takes Fight to CAS as FIFA Upholds Transfer Ban

Barcelona have confirmed they will appeal to the Court of Arbitration
for Sport after Fifa declared they must serve a two-window transfer
ban on Wednesday.

The Catalans were punished back in April after they were found to be
in breach of art. 19 of Fifa regulations - which states international
transfers of players are only permitted if the player is over the age
of 18, bar three exceptions - in the case of 10 minor players, while
they were also found guilty of further infringements.

Fifa released a statement on Wednesday to confirm they had rejected
Barca's appeal, meaning they would now be forced to see out two
consecutive transfer windows, beginning in January 2015, without being
able to complete any signings.

"The Fifa Appeal Committee has decided to reject the appeals lodged by
Barcelona and the Real Federacion Espanola de Futbol (RFEF) and to
confirm in their entirety the decisions rendered by the Fifa
Disciplinary Committee in the respective cases relating to the
protection of minors," a Fifa statement reads.

"As such, Barcelona are to serve a transfer ban which will see the
club prevented from registering any players at both national and
international level for two complete and consecutive transfer periods,
starting with the next registration period (January 2015) given that
the appeal of the club had been granted suspensive effect by the
chairman of the Fifa Appeal Committee.

"Barcelona have also been ordered to pay a fine of CHF 450,000
(EURO 371,000) and been given a period of 90 days from August 20 in which
to regularise the situation of all minor players concerned."

Barca, however, have insisted they will continue to fight the sanction
by referring the case to CAS.

"Following the resolution announced today by the Fifa Appeals
Committee on violations of regulations regarding the transfer and
registration of children aged under 18 years, FC Barcelona announces
that it shall continue defending its interests before the highest
sporting authority, in this case the Court of Arbitration for Sport
(CAS)," a statement reads.

"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."

The Camp Nou side's appeal against the ban was initially granted
suspensive effect, allowing them to secure the signings of Luis
Suarez, Ivan Rakitic, Jeremy Mathieu, Thomas Vermaelen, Marc-Andre ter
Stegen, Claudio Bravo and Alen Halilovic this summer.

Meanwhile, Fifa's Appeal Committee has also upheld the Spanish
Football Federation (RFEF)'s punishment in the same case.

With regard to the RFEF, the Disciplinary Committee previously
determined that the association had also violated art. 19 of the
regulations and other provisions in the context of the transfer and
first registration of certain minor players.

"The RFEF has been ordered to pay a fine of CHF 500,000 (EURO 413,000) and
granted a period of one year in which to regularise their regulatory
framework and existing system concerning the international transfer of
minors in football," the Fifa statement continues.

"The terms of the decisions taken by the Fifa Appeal Committee were
communicated to Barcelona and the RFEF on Wednesday."