The Court of Arbitration For Sport (CAS) Dismisses Barcelona's Transfer Ban Appeal

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has dismissed the appealfiled by FC Barcelona against the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) regardingthe decision issued by the FIFA Appeals Committee on 19 August 2014. In such decision, the Spanishfootball club was sanctioned with a transfer ban for two periods, a fine of CHF 450,000 and areprimand after it was found to have infringed the FIFA regulations with respect to the registration ofa number of minor players.

In appealing to the CAS, FC Barcelona sought to annul the FIFA decision. The parties agreed to anexpedited procedure and a hearing was held at the CAS headquarters on 5 December 2014 where theCAS Panel in charge of the matter (Prof. Petros Mavroidis, Greece, (President), Mr Efraim Barak,Israel, and Prof. Ulrich Haas, Germany) heard the parties, their representatives and their witnesses.

The Panel found in particular that FC Barcelona had breached the rules regarding the protection ofminors and the registration of minors attending football academies (articles 19 and 19bis of the FIFARegulations on the Status and Transfer of Players). Accordingly, the FIFA decision is confirmed infull and the sanction remains in force.

In view of the need to issue a decision before the opening of the next transfer window, the Panel hasissued its decision without the grounds. The full Arbitral Award, with the reasons for the Panel’sdecision, will be issued as soon as possible.

For further information related to the CAS activity and procedures in general, please contact either Mr Matthieu Reeb, CAS SecretaryGeneral, or Ms Katy Hogg, Communications Officer. Château de Béthusy, avenue de Beaumont 2, 1012 Lausanne, Switzerland.media@tas-cas.org; Tel: (41 21) 613 50 00; fax: (41 21) 613 50 01, or consult the CAS website: www.tas-cas.org

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