TIMELINE: How Barcelona's transfer ban has unfolded
-February 5, 2013: FIFA contact Barça regarding the Korean player Lee Seung Woo following an anonymous complaint. In addition, Barça also offer information on another young Korean player (Jack Gyeolhee).
-March 1, 2013: Sandro Rosell proposes to FIFA a substantial change to Article 19, which covers the transfer of players, in a bid to make it more effective. He forwards a letter to FIFA's general secretary, Jerome Valcke.
-May 6, 2013: FIFA claim additional information from Barça on a further 16 players in the same situation as the Koreans - foreigh players signed when under a certain age. Also, FIFA request the Catalan club submit information on all the foreign players at the club not registered with the Spanish or Catalan football federations - a total off 33 players. Ten days later, FIFA have all the information available to them.
-July 9, 2013: FIFA's secretary general, Jerome Valcke, responds to Sandro Rosell's letter, informing him he will look at his request by the end of the year.
-July 12, 2013: Information is requested on 25 of the 33 players FIFA were informed of on May 6. This new information arrives at FIFA on July 17.
-September 25, 2013: FIFA request information on 18 of the players from the Spanish football federation and communicate they are opening disciplinary proceedings. The federation inform Barça of the situation.
-November 20, 2013: FIFA request extra information from Barça on 12 of the 18 players, which they get on November 25.
-November 26, 2013: FIFA request information from Barça on four more players that they believe should have been included in the list on May 6. This information is sent on December 3.
-November 28, 2013: FIFA's disciplinary committee meet and sanction Barcelona. However, the sanction is not communicated to Barça until April 2, which is four months and five days later. FIFA's general secretary doesn't know why it took so long for the decision to be communicated to the club.
-December 9, 2013: Eleven days after the sanction decision, FIFA confirm they have received the information requested on November 26. Additionally, FIFA continue to request information on all the players underage and not nationals, which Barça pass on on December 16.
-April 2, 2014: Barça receive news of the sanction from FIFA. Of the 37 players investigated, it has been ruled the club broke the rules in nine cases.
-April 5, 2014: With Real Betis playing at Camp Nou in la Liga and the socios voting on the Camp Nou referendum, the club unveil a giant banner reading "Don't touch La Masia" - a message directed at FIFA.
-April 12, 2014: Barça present their appeal to FIFA and say that if it is unsuccessful they will take it to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
-April 23, 2014: FIFA's Larry Mussenden announced the sanction will be suspended while they correctly study the cases again. It means that Barcelona can sign players during the summer. Barça spend around €150million on new players.
-August 19, 2014: A Barcelona delegation take part in a four hour long meeting at FIFA's headquarters in Zurich.
-August 20, 2014: FIFA reject Barça's appeal and confirm they will be banned from signing players for two transfer windows (January 2015, summer 2015). Barça decide to take the case to the CAS.
-October 2, 2014: Barça president Josep Maria Bartomeu admits a "small error" on the club's part in reference to the sanction imposed by FIFA.
-December 30, 2014: The CAS backup FIFA's sanction, leaving Barça unable to sign players until 2016.
