Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez arrives for a hearing at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne August 8, 2014. Suarez is appealing against a four-month ban from all football-related activities for biting Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini durin
Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez arrives for a hearing at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne August 8, 2014. Suarez is appealing against a four-month ban from all football-related activities for biting Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini during the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse

The transfer ban for Barcelona FC has been upheld by soccer’s governing body FIFA after an appeal by the Spanish club. The decision meant that Barcelona will not be allowed to make any moves on new players during the transfer seasons in 2015 and 2016.

Barcelona however, is not going down without a fight as the club instantly reacted that they will bring the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, the highest court in all of sporting leagues and competitions.

The FIFA penalty on Barcelona was originally meted out in April 2014 and was apparently about the Spanish club’s unfair practices in acquiring underage players.

“The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has sanctioned the Real Federación Española de Fútbol (RFEF) and Spanish club FC Barcelona for breaches relating to the international transfer and registration of players under the age of 18,” FIFA said in an official statement earlier in 2014.

“The RFEF [Real Federacion Española de Futbol] and FC Barcelona were found to have violated several provisions concerning the international transfer and first registration of non-Spanish minors with the club, as well as other relevant regulations with regard to the registration and participation of certain players in national competitions. The investigations concerned several minor players who were registered and participated in competitions with the club over various periods between 2009 and 2013.”

In response to FIFA, Barcelona was adamant that the decision to stop their national and international transfers hampers their mission in developing their youth program.

“FC Barcelona announces that it shall continue defending its interests before the highest sporting authority, in this case the Court of Arbitration for Sport”, Barcelona said in an official statement.

FIFA’s initial decision in April was expectedly challenged with an appeal by Barcelona allowing the punishment to be put on hold. This allowed the squad to some big signings over the current transfer season getting Uruguayan superstar Luis Suarez.

FIFA’s probe was based on the findings in the FIFA Transfer Matching System, described as the soccer organizing body’s “market watchdog” which began in 2007. The eventual findings of the investigation concluded that Barcelona did violate some of its rules and regulations on under-18 transfers.