What does FIFAs ban on Barcelona entail?
FIFA ratified their decision to not allow FC Barcelona to sign any players in the next winter transfer market and 2015 summer transfer market, putting…
(L-R) Marc Bartra Aregall of FC Barcelona, Luis Suarez of FC Barcelona, Jemery Mathieu of FC Barcelona, Sergi Samper of FC Barcelona during the Joan Gamper Trophy match between FC Barcelona and Leon F.C. at Camp Nou on august 18, 2014 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by VI Images via Getty Images)
FIFA ratified their decision to not allow FC Barcelona to sign any players in the next winter transfer market and 2015 summer transfer market, putting a big hurdle in the teams way to maintain growth and competitiveness in the next few seasons.
The team will still appeal to the TAS, in hopes they will reduce the sanction ?originally imposed due to irregularities found in the signing of underage players for their Youth System. However, after the tribunal failed to do much to alleviate the charges against Luis Suarez, Barças management is not very hopeful things will change much from this moment on.
SEE ALSO: Starting the season later could be good for Luis Suarez
Heres really what Barcelona has to worry about with this sanction:
Little time to do the job
Barça has effectively until September 1st to finalize their shopping –for this year and for the next. Hopefully, Zubizarreta and his scouting team had planned for this outcome of the case, because otherwise they will be in a very tough spot. Unless they can pull off a few great signings in the next days, the outlook for a team that already suffered a lot last season is quite grim.
Laser precision on their targets
Colombia’s Juan Cuadrado celebrates after scoring the opening goal from the penalty spot during the group C World Cup soccer match between Japan and Colombia at the Arena Pantanal in Cuiaba, Brazil, Tuesday, June 24, 2014. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Not only does Zubizarreta need to sign players, but he has to make sure these new guys deliver and are top notch, as there are no second shots here.
As it stands right now, Barça would target stars like Atletico Madrids Koke, Borussia Dortmunds Reus and Fiorentinas Cuadrado, with the intention of leaving them on loan with their teams this season then have them play for Barcelona starting the summer of 2015.
If they are able to get these players, theyll need to keep their fingers crossed so they dont lose any of their value over the next season.
Extend the life of their current squad
There are a few players about to reach their point of no return with Barcelona, but the club will need to figure out a way to keep them going.
Players like Pedro, Alves or Xavi, seemed to be targeting a summer exit from the team, but now the team will have to try and keep them in the roster a bit longer. Xavi seems ready to make an MLS move in January, so Luis Enrique will have to work his magic and convince him to delay his departure. Pedro had an interesting offer from Liverpool, but finally decided to stay and if he gets enough playing time there should be no issue in his part.
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Alves, however, is the toughest situation to handle — his contract is over next year and he has been constantly complained about how little support he has received from the club, so a transfer is definitely in the cards for him.
Zubizarreta will new to work overtime on these issues.
Get the current signings to perform immediately
Barça has made extensive changes this year. Two goalkeepers, two central defenders, two midfielders and two attackers, one of them (Halilovic) still young enough to play in Barça B, and potentially join the senior squad next season.
Because of this, the faster they can get these new signings performing at optimum levels, the easier it will be for the team to ease through the hardship of not being able to sign the players they may need to allow the squad to compete.
Back to basics: More power to La Masia
A picture collage hanging inside La Masia shows Barcelona youth players from the 1996/1997 season with now star players Andres Iniesta (R) and Carles Puyol (L), on April 7, 2011 in Barcelona, Spain. La Masia is the heart of the Barcelona’s youth system and a residence for young players that had to leave their home behind to train at FC Barcelona in both a sporting and intelectual way. Photo by Jasper Juinen/Getty Images)
In the last two summers Barcelona has spend huge amounts of cash in signing star players, the likes of Neymar and Luis Suarez, while in the five years prior they were used to systematically power their squad with the talent emanating from La Masia, their world-renowned youth system.
If they are not able to sign next year, theyll have to revert to their previous strategy and, honestly, that may not be so bad after all.
Players like Munir, Adama, Bagnack, the aforementioned Halilovic, or the future stars loaned out to Sevilla, Deulofeu and Denis Suarez, are sure to help out if only given the chance, so next years ban could be a blessing in disguise after all.
