ZURICH: FIFA has taken note of the decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in the case involving Real Federación Española de Fútbol (RFEF), who were sanctioned by the FIFA Disciplinary Committee in April 2014 for breaches relating to the international transfer and first registration of non-Spanish players under the age of 18 with the club FC Barcelona.
Although the fine imposed on the RFEF has been reduced from CHF 500,000 to CHF 280,000, FIFA is pleased to see that CAS has confirmed all the findings reached by the FIFA Disciplinary Committee as well as the grounds of the decisions.
FIFA considers that CAS has ratified FIFA’s efforts to protect underage players, following on from the court’s earlier decision in the case involving FC Barcelona in December 2014.
The protection of minors is of major importance for FIFA. Young footballers are vulnerable to abuse and exploitation when they are in a foreign country without the appropriate controls.
For FIFA, protecting the appropriate and stable development of a minor as a whole should prevail over purely sporting interests. Art. 2a) of the FIFA Statutes underlines that one of the objectives of FIFA is to improve the game of football constantly and promote it globally in the light of its unifying, educational, cultural and humanitarian values, particularly through youth and development programmes.
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