FC Barcelona appeal granted suspensive effect

FC Barcelona has responded positively to the decision announced today by FIFA’s Appeal Committee to provisionally grant suspensive effect to the appeal made by the Club against the sanction imposed by FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee.

The sanction was announced by the FIFA Disciplinary Commission last April 2 and prevented the Club from signing players during the next two transfer windows. FC Barcelona presented an appeal against the measure within the required period.

In this respect, the chairman of the FIFA Appeal Committee, Larry Mussenden, took into consideration the sanctions imposed against the club, the complexity of the matter, the start date of the next registration period – 1 July 2014 – and the fact that the FIFA Appeal Committee does not seem in a position to take a decision on the main issue early enough so that an eventual appeal of the club against its decision before the Court of Arbitration for Sport would still be decided before the beginning of the next registration period. Consequently, the chairman of the FIFA Appeal Committee considered that the appeal lodged by the club is to be granted suspensive effect.

In view of the foregoing, the chairman of the FIFA Appeal Committee assures that proper and adequate appeal proceedings will take place and, at the same time, that all rights of the club will be respected.