Barcelona announced they would appeal to sports' highest court after FIFA's refusal to overturn a transfer ban, a decision the club described as an affront to their youth training academy.
"FC Barcelona announces that it shall continue defending its interests before the highest sporting authority, in this case the Court of Arbitration for Sport," the club said in a statement.
The club disagreed with FIFA's decision to maintain a suspension on transfers as a penalty for breaking the rules on transfers of minors, fiercely defending the ideals of their renowned youth academy, La Masia.
"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 Catalan giants will be banned from the national and international market for two consecutive transfer windows, starting in January 2015, FIFA said.
FIFA slapped on the sanction in April, after ruling Barcelona and the Spanish Football Association had failed to respect regulations governing the international transfer of players aged under 18 to the club, and their participation in national competitions.
But the fact Barcelona filed an appeal put the punishment on ice, allowing them to snap up a string of names over the summer transfer period including Uruguayan international Luis Suarez, bought from Liverpool, though he is not eligible to play until October 25 because of his World Cup biting ban.
FIFA's April decision came after a probe the previous year by the FIFA Transfer Matching System - its market watchdog, which was set up in 2007.
The investigation concerned several youths who were registered and participated in competitions with Barcelona over various periods from 2009-13.
Global football rules set 18 as the minimum age for international transfers and, while there are limited exceptions, they are only allowed if a special FIFA committee gives approval.
Barcelona were ruled to have breached the rules in the case of 10 players and to have committed several other infringements in the context of others.
FIFA did not identify the players.
In its decision on Wednesday, FIFA also upheld Barcelona's 450,000 Swiss franc fine and gave the club 90 days to "regularise the situation" of all the minor players concerned.
It also left in place the 500,000-Swiss-franc penalty imposed on the Spanish FA and gave it one year to shake up its regulatory framework and existing system concerning the international transfer of minors in football.
AFP
source: newshub archive
