Premier League bans Liverpool from signing youth players after breaking rules

Liverpool has been fined 100,000 pounds ($125,000) and banned from signing youth-team players for at least a year

LONDON (AP) – Liverpool has been fined 100,000 pounds ($125,000) and banned from signing youth-team players for at least a year after admitting to rule breaches in its attempt to recruit an academy prospect from Premier League rival Stoke.

The Premier League said Wednesday that Liverpool offered ''inducements'' to the un-named academy player to encourage him to move to the club, including ''an offer to pay the player's private school fees.''

Liverpool was handed a two-year ban, with the second year suspended for a three-year period. It stops Liverpool registering an academy player who has been with a Premier League or lower-league club for the preceding 18 months.

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The Premier League said it rejected Liverpool's application to register the player in question, with Liverpool and Stoke having reached an agreement on compensation.