'Barca have suffered a great injustice' - Bartomeu hits out at CAS decision

 

 

 

The club president has heavily criticised Europe’s highest sporting judiciary for rejecting their appeal against a two-window transfer ban

Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu has hit out at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), claiming it "has committed a great injustice" for enforcing a two-window transfer ban on the club.

The Catalan giants were handed the initial ban by Fifa after being found guilty of signing underage players from outside of Spain and appealed to CAS, but their argument was rejected as Europe’s highest sporting judiciary felt they had no grounds to overturn the punishment.
Bartomeu heavily criticised the decision in a statement on Barca's website, insisting it is "beyond logic".

"A great injustice has been committed today: an injustice for Barca, for all the children and parents affected by this decision, for all the Club members and for football in general," Bartomeu wrote.

"We have always made it clear that we consider the Fifa sanction to be exaggerated.

"This judgement by the CAS, which supports Fifa's decision, is not good for us and is outside of any sporting logic.

"Fifa and its president have to be an organisation which protects the footballing world and decisions like this distance it from this objective. We do not feel supported or protected by those people who should be doing this.

"The strict letter of the law has been followed, rather than the spirit in which it was written and a precedent which is not good for the game in general has been created - one which has attempted to stain the good name of our club.

"I wish to announce that Barca, with myself in the lead, will fight to change this regulation and improve it.

"I hope Fifa will show sufficient common sense to re-write this regulation and that no other club will have to suffer this injustice.

"Despite everything, I can guarantee our members that this sanction does not endanger the sporting project at La Masia."

Bartomeu does not believe the punishment will harm Barca's on-field prospects either. 

He added: "I remain optimistic.

"On the one hand, we have a squad which offers sufficient guarantees to cover any possible needs of the first steam and on the other, we have to bear in mind that the signings we made last summer to strengthen the squad were made with the possibility of this sanction in mind and to allow us to attempt to win all the possible titles we are competing for until this sanction is over."