Teenage kids caught in crossfire between Barcelona's La Masia and FIFA

Barcelona youngsters such as Patrice Sousia (L) have been asked to leave La Masia (Image courtesy Mundo Deportivo)

Things just go from bad to worse for Barcelona where FIFA are concerned. Not content with handing the club an 18-month transfer ban, upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sport after Barca’s appeal, the world governing body have to decided to go one better.

The original charges centred around the breaking of rules after signing international under-18 players. FIFA rules clearly state that international transfers are only permitted for players over the age of 18.

The only loophole to the same is if the player meets one of three qualifying criteria.

FIFA’s directive is thus:

Under-18s can move to a club in a different country if their parents move there for non-footballing reasons, if they are from another nation within the European Union or European Economic Area and aged between 16 and 18, or if they live within 100km of the club.

Barca fell foul of the above and as such, nine of their Masia youngsters were banned from playing as well as imposing the transfer sanction on the club as a whole. Three of those nine players are no longer at the club.

FIFA ban Barcelona teenagers from staying at La Masia

The Catalans had high hopes for Bobby Adekanye, Kais Ruiz and Takefusa Kubo. Theo Chendri has now reached his 16th birthday and because he is from the European Union, can play once again. Five others, including American starlet Ben Lederman have been ineligible to wear the Blaugrana since 2013 and now FIFA has turned the screw even more for Lederman and his young teammates.

Not only can those players still not play for their club, but FIFA have decreed that they cannot now train with them or live in the La Masia facilities. This status quo remains until they are 18 years of age.

Ben Lederman was looking to be the first American to play for Barcelona (Image courtesy The New York Times)

Lederman, bidding to become the first American to play for Barcelona, has had no choice but to return home to California, something that his family were absolutely against. His older brother Dean was a senior in a local high school and the family were loathe to uproot again before his graduation. FIFA have effectively left them no choice.

“It is killing him. And as his dad, it’s killing me, too, to see him like this. A year? Kids need to play; he practices, he practices, he practices, but he can’t play? It’s not right.

“I understand the rule was made to protect kids from being pulled away from their families. But our family made a choice to move to Spain together.

“Why should FIFA be able to tell our family where it has to live if we want our kid to play soccer?” – Lederman’s father Danny in the New York Times

It’s a good point, and one that FIFA have been unwilling to answer at this juncture.

FIFA ban renders 16-year-old Patrice Sousia homeless

Anyone who thought that the Lederman’s case was bad needs to be made aware of the plight of Patrice Sousia. Just 16 years old, Sousia has lived alone in La Masia because his family remain in Cameroon. This new directive has effectively rendered Sousia homeless.

How is that possible? FIFA claim to maintain that they are looking after the rights of the children but effectively turfing a 16-year-old out on the streets leaves a very sour taste in the mouth indeed.

Fortunately for young Sousia, the family of his team-mate Alex Collado will provide him with a place to stay and he will be able to train with Alex’s brother Jonathan at another team in the locale. It is a far from ideal scenario and really doesn’t put FIFA in a good light.

FC Barcelona take swift action

Barcelona’s response has been swift and some might say understated with the official site noting:

As a consequence of the ban imposed by FIFA in 2014, FC Barcelona has presented a request to regularise the situation of, amongst others, five players from the youth teams.

The measure has been taken with regards to these players due to FIFA’s position which, in their understanding, does not allow the players to train, play or live at the Club’s facilities. FC Barcelona did not renew the licences of the players so that it could not be interpreted that a FIFA rule was not being adhered to.

As such, FC Barcelona has taken measure that it considers appropriate, respecting to the full the personal situations of each of those affected. The players have been kept informed at all times of the process that has led to the ending of their relationship with the Club.

There are likely to be a number of challenges to Article 19 by aggrieved families but they are all set to fail. Sports lawyers au fait with the nuances of this case have already publicly noted that as CAS has also approved the sanction. There is very little likelihood in the decisions being overturned.

It has certainly brought about a sea change in the way that professional football club academies go about their work in relation to overseas players.

Barcelona youth players seen studying inside La Masia (2011 photo)

Documentation and proof were not asked for when kids were registered

Cintia Cuperman journeyed to Spain from Miami in 2013 and saw one of her two sons Nico accepted onto Barca’s Escola programme. It is essentially a soccer school affiliated with the club – there are many worldwide – and if a boy does well, he can be asked to train with the club properly.

Nico’s progression at the Escola was rapid and he joined a local club. He was able to play in matches after being given a registration card. However, in February Nico’s card was revoked after Barca’s appeal of its sanctions was denied.

“Suddenly I was getting requests from the club for 10 different kinds of documentation and proof of a job for me and all types of things.

“I was stunned. When we first registered, and I saw the lines on the forms asking for those things, the guys at the club told me, ‘Put down anything — no one cares.’ ” – Cintia Cuperman

Regulation has certainly been lacking in this grey area of the football pyramid, as Cupertino’s words indicate. And from an objective perspective, FIFA cannot be blamed for wanting to bring everything under control. However, doing so in such a heavy-handed manner and denying some of these young boys not only their football education but their liberty is wholly improper.

But since when have FIFA worried about that.

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