didn't Barcelona & their lawyers argue LSW, PSH, and JGH moved with the help of KFA for the last yr or so since their ban? also, it's strange to punish Theo Chendri yet again considering he is 16+ now & from EU country.
http://www.marca.com/2014/04/02/en/football/barcelona/1396468048.html http://espnfc.com/news/story/_/id/1772437/barcelona-appeal-fifa-transfer-ban?cc=5901
My question is whether Barca are doing anything different in practice than other clubs that also sign non EU youths under the age of 18. If the answer is no, then whatever happens in this case will set an important precedent for similar youth programs at big clubs everywhere. Doesn't really make it right even if everyone else is doing it, but puts things in perspective. Come to think of it, when the da Silva twins first signed with Manu U, I remember they had to wait until they turned 18 before playing a game. DOn't know if it's that's related, but that is an instance of a club acting to meet FIFA rules....unlike Barca.
Variety of articles say yes this is a new message of FIFA attempting to squash this existing practice.
I believe they signed them up in Winter. You can play in the league as long as you are 18 that year. Think Korean birthdays. They just weren't good enough for 1st team. Fabio didn't play because of Evra. Rafael didn't play because of Wes Brown and Neville. Does FIFA have a problem with the African players or did it have to do with Lee Seung Woo's recent contract?
What a bummer. That means I have to squash my nephews dreams of playing at La Masia. And for the rest of the little ones, Korean youth programs are going to have step up big time.
No, you have to turn 18. No, they aren't blocking Asians from playing football. Did you see the list of 6 who were initially banned from playing in 2013 and the full list of 10 players FIFA found Barca to infringe the article 19 rule? This is actually a "good" law... to protect kids from bad agents and etc. It was poorly enforced until FIFA decided to use Barca as an example. Anyways, I'm reading reports of Real Madrid & Valencia as the clubs who snitched or reported Barca to FIFA. At the same time, Atletico & Real Madrid could face similar punishment... or FIFA is supposedly looking in to them as well.
Anyways, even if Barca were to appeal.... I don't expect them to win the appeal. 6 players were banned in 2013 but others such as Antonio Sanabria continued to play league games.
Will this have any effect on the Barcelona Youth? Isn't Lee Seung Woo going to sign a professional contract with Barcelona? :/ "Barcelona have been stunned as FIFA have banned them from selling or buying any players over the next two transfer windows. The reason cited is illegal handling of players under 18. This leaves the question of what is to happen to Alen Halilovic and ter Stegen who both agreed moves before the window opened? FIFA's statement: With regard to the case in question, FC Barcelona has been found to be in breach of art. 19 of the Regulations in the case of ten minor players and to have committed several other concurrent infringements in the context of other players, including under Annexe 2 of the Regulations. The Disciplinary Committee regarded the infringements as serious and decided to sanction the club with a transfer ban at both national and international level for two complete and consecutive transfer periods, together with a fine of CHF 450,000. Additionally, the club was granted a period of 90 days in which to regularise the situation of all minor players concerned..." http://www1.skysports.com/football/...from-making-transfers-in-the-next-two-windows
"Barcelona will almost certainly appeal against the transfer ban, which has cast a shadow of doubt over moves already agreed for Borussia Monchengladbach keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Croatian 17-year-old Alen Halilovic, who turns 18 in June. Barcelona have a trio of youth players from South Korea, including much-sought after 15-year-old striker Lee Seung Woo, plus other players from Africa..." FIFA banned Lee Seung Woo from participating in Barcelona domestic league with youth team but now Barcelona OVERALL is banned from making any transfer BECAUSE of the breach of rules of acquiring players under 18...
Because it's not just about meeting the criteria, it has to be approved by a FIFA committee, who'd decide whether the player does meet the exception. My guess is that FIFA wasn't buying it.
The effect? What FIFA wants is for Barca to start concentrate getting youths from Spain and the EU. Would it happen? Barca can find loopholes, but that might just make FIFA to put forward an even tighter regulation. As for Halilovic, he's fine. He turns 18 in June, so no problem for him to join Barca.
Barca can't complain about getting punished in the first place. The rules were there since 2009, and they knew about it. If it is unfair, they should have dealt with FIFA straight away in 2009 and reach a compromise then, rather than ignoring the rule until now. They would try to buy some time with an appeal, but it's clear that they have breached the rules unlike the Kakuta saga.
Actually, they can bitch & whine about it since the whole of Spain/La Liga ignored the law. It won't excuse them but they can at least take La Liga or at least their close rivals with them in punishment. http://www.insidespanishfootball.co...eal-madrid-and-atletico-over-youth-transfers/ http://futbol.as.com/futbol/2014/04/02/primera/1396462469_700067.html
They could implicate other clubs as well, like you said, which would level the field with other La Liga clubs, but it's not a defense.
I doubt anything changes for LSW, JGH, and PSH. http://www.fcbarcelona.com/club/det...ion-imposed-by-fifa-s-disciplinary-commission
Just to be clear to everyone, Takeuchi was quoting the FCB official statement. I had thought that the quoted language was from a FIFA statute of some kind.
The gist of FCB's defense seems to be that: 1); the said FIFA regulations are bad and need to be revised; 2) that FCB were doing things that satisfied the original intent of the regulations (namely, by providing full, well-rounded education to the youths and serving as a model of youth development world wide); and 3) that the Spanish national federation was fully aware of FCB's practice, and that such practice is everywhere in Spain (that there are estimated 15,000 foreign underage trainees in Catalonia alone!).
I'm not so sure about that. If FIFA takes a hard line on this issue, their requested remedy can ultimately be met only if FCB terminates their (illegal) relationship with the 3 kids. Also, I found this article, which gives some background information about the FIFA regulation and the FCB case. http://fclegal.blogspot.com/2013/03/fc-barcelona-and-protection-of-minors.html
What do you mean by terminate? The only thing FIFA can do is ban the player (of which they already did since 2013) from being registered & compete in league games. They aren't recognized by FIFA but they can't force the kids to leave La Masia.
I think he's referring to FIFA has demanded that they resolve the situation with the kids within 90 days in addition to transfer ban.
they have 90 days to explain how they signed the minors (most likely the 4 other players). as stated by FC Barca official statement, i don't think anything changes for the kids. they will stay in La Masia (attend school, train, play in non-FIFA tourneys) unless they decide to return to Korea. http://espnfc.com/news/story/_/id/1772107/barcelona-hit-transfer-ban?cc=5901
btw, interesting article on how poorly/sporadic/random FIFA has handled this situation. http://www.totalbarca.com/2014/news/club-publish-a-history-of-communication-with-fifa/