FC Barcelona have been given a 14 month transfer ban from FIFA after the Catalan giants were adjudged to have broken rules relating to signing players (aged under 18) from foreign countries. This means that the current La Liga champions can’t sign anyone until the summer of 2015.

This would mean that the Spanish club could not bring in a player during the next two transfer windows. Now it is believed that they have signed pre-contract deals with Croatian Alen Halilovic and German goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen. But I would imagine that these deals will now be seriously threatened as the registrations can’t be completed until the summer transfer window opens, a window that Barca are now banned from partaking in.

I’d assume that the Halilovic deal can be postponed for a year and Barcelona having to fork out a bit more for his services in 2015. That isn’t a huge problem.

The main issue could be what happens to the goalkeeping position if Barca can’t sign internationalist ter Stegen?

Current number one Victor Valdes has already announced that he planned on leaving the club this summer. With his contract expiring the club are helpless in stopping the keeper leave if thats what he still wants to do. But things have now changed for both parties. His boyhood club really need him to stay on for one more year and he might feel compelled to help them out. Plus the Spanish international has just torn his anterior cruciate in his right knee, meaning he will be out for around seven months. so it might be better off for Valdes to remain at the Camp Nou, rehabilitate  there, then come back around October time and regain his place before leaving a hero next year.

I would also be interested to know if Barca could sign a goalie in an emergency loan deal. I really can’t see Jose Pinto managing a whole season as a credible number one for ‘Blaugrana’.

Club captain Carles Puyol has also told the media that he too intends to leave the Camp Nou this summer.

About his departure Puyol said this…

“After the last two operations it has been difficult for me to recover the level I need to be able to continue here, more than I expected,”

The 35 year old has sussed out that he has no longer got the legs needed for top class football. The ban won’t have changed the fact that he can’t guarantee optimum performances anymore. He may be asked to stay on and become a fringe player, maybe even as a player coach but I would imagine that he would need to be paid handsomely as he would no doubt get lucrative offers in the States and in the Middle East.

Bacelona’s legendary La Masia academy will probably be looked at as a way for getting the club through this tough period. The youngsters there will probably be called upon to help fill in certain gaps. Especially at the back.

Many of the current stars were brought through the La Masia and have flourished. But they weren’t thrown in the deep end and that might happen now. It could be a case of sink or swim for some of the young talent there. More will certainly be asked of the latest La Masia graduates such as Martin Montoya, Sergi Roberto and Marc Bartra.

The news of a ban might mean a stay of execution for certain fringe players too. Players such as Ibrahim Afellay, Alex Song, Isaac Cuenca and Christian Tello will probably be kept on just so Barcelona have more reinforcements in the squad as they can no longer be replaced. Alex Song in particular will be seen as more valuable to the clubs cause than he was yesterday as the Cameroonian can play in various positions across the back and in midfield.

I would imagine Gerard Deulofeu and Rafinha will return from their respective loans and be considered for first team action too. The returns of Bojan and Keirrison (surely his deal is up soon) won’t be as welcome as they haven’t had successful loan spells at various clubs.

I would also like FIFA to answer the following questions. Can the Barcelona ‘B’ side buy anyone? Can the two Barca teams still work together i.e promote and demote certain players during this 14 month transfer ban?

Now this blog might be premature as the Catalans will no doubt challenge FIFA’s findings and will appeal the ban. As we know with football, the bigger clubs seem to win quite a few of these appeals, so don’t be surprised to see the punishment overturned.

But if the ban is upheld then it could be an interesting year ahead for the Spanish titans. They will still probably challenge for the title but will they fall behind Real Madrid to a significant degree? Can they battle it out with the likes of Bayern Munich for the Champions League?

For me though, after the Neymar saga and now this debacle, the biggest questions are… Can FC Barcelona truly say they are Europe’s classiest team? Or have they been found out as being just as bad as the rest?

Posted on April 2nd, 2014 by scott
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