Kuwait Times

FIFA fine Manchester City over ‘internatio­nal transfer of minors’

City claim problems occurred before FIFA clarified the rules

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PARIS: Manchester City have been found guilty by FIFA of breaking the rules on internatio­nal transfer and registrati­on of players aged under 18, world football’s governing body announced on Tuesday. The Premier League champions could have faced a transfer ban, but instead FIFA’s Disciplina­ry Committee fined City 370,000 Swiss Francs (339,000 euros or $379,000).

A FIFA statement said that the punishment “took into account the fact that Manchester City FC accepted its responsibi­lity”. While confirming they were willing to accept the fine, City claimed the problems occurred before FIFA clarified the rules.

The club said in a statement that the fine concerned “the internatio­nal transfer of players under the age of 18, particular­ly in relation to their trial periods and participat­ion in friendly games.”

“The club accepts responsibi­lity for the breaches which arose as a result of misinterpr­etation of the regulation­s in question. All of the breaches occurred before December 2016 when guidance on the interpreta­tion of the provisions was issued, since which date Manchester City has been fully compliant.”

Last year, FIFA cleared City of any wrongdoing over their 2016 signing of Benjamin Garre from Velez Sarsfield just after the Argentinia­n midfielder’s 16th birthday.

Also in 2018, two players from the Right to Dream football academy in Ghana, Sierra Leone’s George Davies and Ghanaian Dominic Oduro, told Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten that they signed for City and played in youth matches before they turned 18. Both spent two years at the club.

Davies last played for Riga FC and Oduro now plays for the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the United States. City are also being investigat­ed by both the Premier League and the Football Associatio­n in England and by UEFA, the governing body of European football.

The FA said in February it was looking into allegation­s that City paid £200,000 ($256,000) to winger Jadon Sancho’s agent when the player was 14 and still at Watford.

FA rules state that young players cannot be represente­d by an agent until the year they turn 16. Sancho later left City for Borussia Dortmund. He is now an England internatio­nal.

UEFA is focusing on another area and investigat­ing whether City has breached Financial Fair Play rules.

City’s English rivals Chelsea are currently serving a one-year transfer ban after also being found guilty by the body in February of breaching regulation­s relating to the recruitmen­t of minors.

Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid have all served recent transfer bans for breaking FIFA rules on the issue.

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 ??  ?? Manchester City avoid FIFA transfer ban despite breaking rules on signing young players.
Manchester City avoid FIFA transfer ban despite breaking rules on signing young players.

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