For repeatedly breaking youth transfer regulations, Barcelona was to serve a transfer ban starting from January 2015.
The transfer ban will stand following the rejection of the appeal made by Barcelona.
The ban was placed on the club in April by football governing body FIFA for two consecutive transfer windows after been alleged of breaching regulations guarding the trafficking and exploitation of young players.
Barcelona will thus be unable to make any further signing of players in 2015 which will leave them till 2016 January transfer window to have another chance of making any signings.
The Catalan club has also been ordered to pay a fine of CHF 450,000 (300,000 pounds) and regularise all the issues with minor players involved in about 3 months.
The transfer ban originally meant to start this current summer was suspended by FIFA after agreeing to an initial appeal by Barcelona.
The club however have been busy in the current transfer window having spent over 150 million euros in the transfer market which saw the arrival of Marc Andre Ter-Stegen, Claudio Bravo, Alen Halilovic, Ivan Rakitic, Thomas Vermelean, Jeremy Mathieu and Luis Suarez.
FC Barcelona will now have till 1st September, 2014 to make any more signings before 2016. The Catalan club will thus be expected to offload fringe players like Alex Song in their bid to bring fresh faces.
Does this ban signify a new commanding era for Madrid based teams; Real and Atletico Madrid?
With FC Barcelona unable to have their way in overturning the appeal, Real Madrid is not showing any sign of relinquishing their transfer market power which has seen them break the record transfer twice since 2009.
Atletico Madrid’s improving squad will also stay in the market to keep reinforcing the weak part of their team.
With Barcelona present squad, they seem good enough to compete for major trophies although there defence will remain a suspect with only Gerard Pique and Thomas Vermealean as the major centre backs.
Jeremy Mathieu may be switched to the left side of the centre back if Luis Enrique decides to use a 3-5-2 formation.
The attacking trio of Neymar, Messi and Suarez is a world class combination of talents while the midfield is loaded with veteran Xavi, Iniesta, Busquet, Halilovic and Rakitic.
If the ban is to stay, Barcelona will have to bring in another favoured midfielder with Alex Song said to have fallen out of the team’s plans.
Dani Alves’ current dip in form indicates an option of Juan Cuadrado is a good one while the team will also be looking to bring in important and major centre backs as they look to compete on all front in the 2014/2015 season.
FC Barcelona is definitely not going to back down on the failure of their appeal as they have shown their intention to visit the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in order to overturn the ban with Chelsea FC favouring from such in 2007.
