For most of last season, Barcelona went about their business and struck fear into every team that they faced, coming away with the La Liga, Copa del Rey and Champions League titles. This treble surged Barcelona into the history books, making them the first club in Europe to win all three twice. This was after bad news the previous year, too.
Barcelona’s transfer ban: Could it be a good thing for them?
In April 2014, following the violation of FIFA rules with regards to the transfer of players under the age of 18, FIFA banned the club from purchasing players over the next two transfer windows.
A statement on FIFA’s website read, “With regard to the case in question, FC Barcelona has been found to be in breach of art. 19 of the Regulations in the case of ten minor players and to have committed several other concurrent infringements in the context of other players, including under Annexe 2 of the Regulations. The Disciplinary Committee regarded the infringements as serious and decided to sanction the club with a transfer ban at both national and international level for two complete and consecutive transfer periods, together with a fine of 450,000 francs. Additionally, the club was granted a period of 90 days in which to regularise the situation of all minor players concerned.” FIFA rejected an appeal in August, but the pending appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport allowed Barcelona to sign players during the summer of 2014.
Last summer, while the suspension was on hold, Barcelona seized their opportunity to spend, and spend they did. Over 150 million euros were dished out, bringing in Luis Suarez, Ivan Rakitić, Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Thomas Vermaelen, Claudio Bravo, Jeremy Mathieu and Alen Halilović.
The team is a well-oiled machine and the ban could be a good thing for the short term. They cannot buy any players now until the January transfer window – not ones that can play, anyway. Players cannot transfer in and possibly disrupt the team that won the treble last season and, when/if they do sign in January, the team will be up and running with the hope they are competing on all fronts once more. If as is expected – that the team is competing on all fronts – new players coming in may be restricted to two or three in January, so as not to disrupt a squad that is performing well halfway through a season. On the other hand, with no new players donning a Barcelona jersey, could the current team become complacent? You would like to think not, but if a player feels his place his safe no matter what, then performances could suffer.
Two players have already been signed ahead of the ban being lifted; Aleix Vidal from Sevilla, for around 18 million euros, and Arda Turan from Atletico Madrid, for an initial fee of 34 million euros. Neither can play until January 2016, but this will give the players a chance to get used to their new team mates acquainted with the new signings. More signings like this could be possible; Paul Pogba, for example, continues to be linked, with Barcelona presidential candidate, Joan Laporta, claiming he fully expects to sign the player. However, any footballer that does sign this summer will have to be comfortable with not playing for his new team until next year; this may not appear all that favourable to some, especially those seeking immediate career development on the pitch.
Looking at Barcelona, I cannot see the current team suffering due to lack of players being brought in. They seem to enjoy winning too much and, with the firepower that they have, they can beat anyone, anytime, anywhere. 129 goals and 58 assists were shared out between Barcelona’s front three of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Suarez alone. Add that to the rest of the team chipping in, too, and there isn’t another club in the world at the moment that can surely match them.
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