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.”(AFP)
