Serie A club, Spezia will be inactive in four transfer windows after they were found guilty of signing several underage players from Nigeria, world soccer’s governing body said on Friday.
Spezia were also fined 500,000 Swiss francs (US$543,832) for committing the offence.
The ban will take effect from January 2022 till the summer of 2023.
“Following an investigation carried out by the FIFA Regulatory Execution Department, the Disciplinary Commission of the highest football body found that the La Spezia club violated Article 19 of the FIFA Regulations on the status and transfer of players (RSTP) by having brought several Nigerian underage footballers to Italy using a system designed to circumvent the aforementioned RSTP article as well as national immigration regulations,” read a statement on Fifa website.
“Taking into account Spezia Calcio’s admission of responsibility for its serious regulatory violations, the FIFA Disciplinary Commission imposed a market blockade, nationally and internationally, for four sessions along with a fine of 500,000 Swiss francs.
Two other Italian clubs were found guilty of the offence USD Lavagnese 1919 and Valdivara 5 Terre, and suspended from signing new players until the summer of 2023 with a fine of 4,000 Swiss francs each.
It continued: “The FIFA Disciplinary Commission has also imposed a freeze on the market, nationally and internationally, for four registration periods and a fine of CHF 4,000 against USD Lavagnese 1919 and Valdivara 5 Terre, since these two clubs played a active role in the aforementioned system.
“The protection of minors is a fundamental objective of the legal framework governing the transfer system of players and the effective application of these rules is essential to ensure the protection of the well-being of minors on all occasions. The three football clubs were informed today of the decision of the Fifa Disciplinary Commission.”
