Spanish club, Barcelona has been banned by the FIFA Disciplinary Committee from signing players for two transfer windows after breach of transfer regulation rules, relating to registering players under the age of 18. The club along with the ban have also been fined €368, 980.

The implication is that the title defenders will be unable to sign on new players or even replace the outgoing ones, Carles Puyol and Victor Valdes whose contracts expire at the end of this season.

A statement from FIFA reads thus, “The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has sanctioned the Real Federacion Espanola de Futbol (RFEF) and Spanish club FC Barcelona for breaches relating to the international transfer and registration of players under the age of 18. The investigations concerned several minor players who were registered and participated in competitions with the club over various periods between 2009 and 2013.”