Barca Boss Slams Fifa Over Ban

Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu believes Fifa regulations concerning under-age player transfers needs to be revised and that current rules would have prevented Lionel Messi from joining the club.
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The Catalan side have been banned from signing players during this transfer window and the next one for breaking the rules over the signing of foreign under-18 players.
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Now Real Madrid are also being investigated by Fifa over the transfer of 51 players and there are rumours that the activities of other La Liga clubs could be examined.
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The ban is a major blow for Barca, who have been held up as an example for their development of youth players through their celebrated Masia academy, where they nurtured the talent of Argentine-born Messi after he arrived at the club aged 13.
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Bartomeu is angry at the way they have been treated.
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“The problem is with Fifa and they need to change this article 19 (over the transfer of youth players) as it doesn’t make any sense,” the president told Spanish radio.
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“Leo Messi couldn’t have come to Barca according to Fifa. Fifa have a problem and they can’t have a rule which so many kids are not complying with. At the moment, it is Barca who are paying for five kids.
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“Barca have suffered injustices in the past and this is another example.
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“Clearly there are going to be other clubs involved, (Spanish federation president Angel Maria) Villar already told us that other Spanish teams were being investigated.
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“I don’t want other clubs to be investigated. I want Fifa to change the rules and (Fifa President Sepp) Blatter to consider this.”
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A failed appeal against the transfer ban last December plunged the Barca board into crisis, playing a part in the firing of sports director Andoni Zubizarreta and Bartomeu’s decision to bring forward presidential elections.
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“If there wasn’t so much tension, then I wouldn’t have called the elections,” Bartomeu said of the vote taking place at the end of this season.
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“I wanted to complete our mandate and the club is functioning reasonably well but I think it was the right thing to do.”