FIFA hands Spezia transfer ban for signing underage Nigerian footballers

World football governing body, FIFA has handed transfer ban to Serie A club, Spezia after they were found guilty of taking in several underage players from Nigeria.

Spezia will not be able to sign new players for four transfer windows starting from January 2022 till the summer of 2023 and will also pay a fine of 500,000 Swiss francs.

“Following an investigation carried out by the FIFA Regulatory Execution Department,” read a statement on Fifa website.

“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.

“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.

“Spezia Calcio, therefore, will not be able to register new players for the next four market registration periods established by the Italian Football Federation.”