TheCable

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has dismissed Barcelona’s appeal and upheld the transfer ban FIFA imposed on the club for infringing regulations on registering minors as youth players.

The football’s world governing body announced in April it had banned Barca from the transfer market for two consecutive windows and fined them 450,000 Swiss francs.

The Spanish club appealed the ruling but CAS on Tuesday said Barcelona “breached the rules” governing the protection of minors and the registration of those attending football academies.

The CAS decision means Barcelona will not be able to sign any new players until January 2016, although they can renew contracts and recall players loaned to other clubs, such as Denis Suarez and Gerard Deulofeu, both at Sevilla.

Barcelona have now released an official statement expressing the club’s disagreement with the decision.

“FC Barcelona wishes to state, with all due respect for the sports authorities, that it totally disagrees with the verdict of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) announced today to confirm the sanction originally imposed by FIFA as a consequence of the alleged breach of regulations on the international transfer of minor footballers.

“FC Barcelona considers the sanction as being absolutely disproportionate as it implies an excessive punishment for the club given its track record,” the club said in a statement.