Man City Avoids FIFA Transfer Ban for Signing Underage Players

Man City will pay a hefty fine but not be prohibited from signing new players.

Manchester City have narrowly avoided being slapped with a transfer ban by FIFA after acknowledging that they had breached rules regarding international transfers and registration of underage players.

While it wasn't the only rule that the club had broken, City were facing a potential transfer ban after breaching article 19 of the FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players.

But The Daily Mail has confirmed that Manchester City will not be hit with a ban on signing new players, instead being fined £315,000 by FIFA.

It's claimed that the authorities' disciplinary committee took into account that City have accepted they didn't stick to the rule book, even though FIFA and the Court of Arbitration for Sport often punish breaches of underage player transfers the most severely.

The Manchester Evening News suggests that City's breach came in relation to the transfers of teenagers George Davies and Dominic Oduro from the Right to Dream Academy in Ghana to Danish side Nordsjaelland.

Both players told Danish media that they were signed and had played for the club's youth teams before turning 18, which is against FIFA's legislation.

A FIFA statement read: "The FIFA disciplinary committee has sanctioned English club Manchester City FC for breaches relating to the international transfer and registration of players under the age of 18.

"Manchester City FC was found to have breached, amongst others, article 19 of the FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players.

"The disciplinary committee took into account the fact that Manchester City FC accepted its responsibility and sanctioned the club with a fine of 370,000 Swiss francs."