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Barcelona fans breathed a sigh of relief and can now move on with their summer plans after FIFA temporarily suspended the transfer ban that would not have allowed the club to sign players during the summer transfer window.
Blaugrana president Jose Maria Bartomeu said the club could spend around €120 million to reorganize a club that came up empty in La Liga, Champions League and the Copa del Rey. The club was hit with the ban April 2nd after breaking the world governing body’s rules related to the “inter nation transfer of minors.” FIFA laws say clubs are not allowed to sign international players under the age of 18 unless the player is moving within the European Union, is between ages 16-18 and moving with their parents, or if the club and player both live within 50 kilometers of a shared national border. FIFA’s investigation has been focused on the signing of 10 unnamed players under 18 years old who were registered and played for the club between 2009 and 2013. Barcelona was fined $508,000 while the Spanish Football Federation was received a $565,000 fine.
Barcelona submitted an appeal to the FIFA Appeal Committee, asking that their appeal be granted suspensive effect. FIFA responded by lifting the ban while any appeals are being heard.
FIFA released a statement saying, “… 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.”
The club has a lot of work to do, and had already made a deal for Borussia Monchengladbach keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegan, but now Arsenal may be threatening to scoop up the 22-year-old up and comer. Goalkeeper is a prime position for Barcelona to replace, as Victor Valdes was going to leave after this season whether or not he had torn his ACL. Stegan, the German keeper, told Kicker, "I control the moment when I announce my new club. I would like to do so at the end of the season."
(Borussia Mochengladback's Mar-Andre ter Stegan will make his decision at season's end. (Photo: Nothside | Wikipedia Commons)
Looking at the back line, Carles Puyol announced he was leaving after this season, and Barcelona has longed to bring in a central defender. The club will likely look into targets such as Thiago Silva, David Luiz and Eliaquim Mangala.
Barcelona will also have some work to do in the midfield. Restoring youth would be the place to start, with 34-year-old Xavi and soon to be 30-year-old Andres Iniesta going through another long season, which includes this year's World Cup. Alex Song is likely to leave at season's end for lack of playing time, and has reportedly been on Manchester United's radar. The club is said to be monitoring Borussia Dortmund’s IIkay Gundogan and Juventus’ Arturo Vidal.
Forward won’t be much of an issue for Barcelona. Having Lionel Messi and Neymar Jr. locked up is a great security blanket. Barcelona had wanted to extend Messi’s contract and can now do that with the ban off their minds. Alexis Sanchez and Pedro are also going to be with Barcelona for the next two years and there were murmurs that Barcelona was looking at Athletic Bilbao striker Aritz Aduriz, and Real Sociedad striker Imanol Agirretxe - but it is clear these players would own a bench role.
Players may not be the only thing that Barcelona is shopping for this summer. There have been murmers about Gerardo Martino not being at the helm next season, and French newspaper L'Equipe reported that Athletic Bilbao manager Ernesto Valverde turned down an offer to manage Barcelona next season.
Gerardo Martino's first season as mannager will end without a trophy. (Photo: @SoccerRoomToday | Twitter)
