The keys to Barcelona believing they can register Arda Turan

Barcelona have decided to present the necessary documents to the RFEF in a bid to have Arda Turan registered for the first team immediately in place of Rafinha, who has been ruled out for at least six months after picking up ligament damage against Roma last week. 

Toni Freixa had said that the club had received a letter from FIFA reiterating they would not be allowed to register any footballer until January, but the club’s legal services have studied the laws of the ban and of registering players outside the window and Barça feel everything has changed. They feel they have a case.

Here is the chain of events as explained by the journalist Ruben Uria and the keys to Barça’s request for Arda to be registered: 

—On August 20, 2014, FIFA ban Barça from registering players during two transfer windows (winter 2014/15 and summer 2015/16). Said ban ended, therefore, on August 31, 2015. 

—Barça signed Arda Turan and Aleix Vidal in the summer, but as FIFA’s registration ban was still in place, they were unable to register them at the time. The two players are able to train with the club, but cannot play in any matches (not even friendlies) until January. 

—As of today, according to the RFEF (Spanish Football Association), Arda and Vidal are two players without a club as they have not been registered by Barça, nor by their former clubs, Atletico Madrid and Sevilla respectively. 

—In the case of a long-term injury (as is the case with Rafinha), the RFEF allow clubs to register a player in the place of the injured player (as long as it doesn’t involved a transfer, which in this case, it does not). 

—Having finished their ban on August 31, Barça could register a player in place of Rafinha as long as they comply with Article 124 of the RFEF’s rules. 

—As well as submitting the documents to the RFEF, the Blaugrana have also formally requested permission from FIFA to register the player for domestic competitions. 

—Arda could play in the league and the Copa del Rey, but not in the Champions League (if registered by the RFEF). Not because of the ban, but because of FIFA’s rules — only long-term injuries to goalkeepers can see new players registered in European competition.