Two more Barça youth players banned by FIFA
FIFA continue to punish children whose only crime is to want to play football and be in a foreign country.
The conflict between football’s governing body and FC Barcelona seems a long way from a solution; in fact, it could be getting more complicated. Two new players in Barcelona’s youth teams will now not be allowed to play football this season.
The players were both due to play in the Infantil A team. One of them is the Dutch youngster Fode Fofana and the other is the Venezuelan Matias Lacaza. Both players ended last season playing normally for the Infantil B side, but now FIFA have added them to the list of players who are not permitted to play for the Catalan club.
Barça have been forced to decide not to renew their contracts because it could have caused a new ban from FIFA because renewing these players' deals would break FIFA new rules which were introduced in late 2014 regarding youth players' contracts.
FIFA didn't ban Fode and Lacaza, but Barça could not renew their terms because FIFA would have probably hit them with another punishment.
In addition to those two, there are still other players at the club who remain banned by FIFA. We are talking of Patrice Soussia, who this season would be playing for the Juvenil B side, and the North American Ben Lederman, who would be moving into the Cadete A side.
However, two players are now close to playing: Koreans Seung Woo Lee and Seungho Paik. The former will turn 18 in January and the latter is already of age. Both can be be registered to play for Barça when the winter transfer market opens in January.
