Football
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Sepp Blatter urges Barcelona to accept FIFA transfer ban with respect

FIFA president Sepp Blatter said that Barcelona "should be an example to the world," and added that he hoped to speak with club management regarding a possible solution to the club's plan to ban all contact with FIFA in protest over the transfer ban.

Barcelona reacted angrily in December after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) upheld FIFA's decision to punish the club with a ban for two consecutive transfer windows.

FIFA issued the ban in April after Barca were found guilty of repeatedly breaching transfer regulations, and world football's governing body also rejected an appeal in August. The Catalan outfit cannot sign any players until January of 2016.

Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu slammed the CAS decision earlier this month, saying the club would suspend all institutional relations with FIFA while the transfer ban was in place.

"A great injustice has been committed today: an injustice for Barca, for all the children and parents affected by this decision, for all the club members and for football in general," Bartomeu said last week.

"We have always made it clear that we consider FIFA's sanction to be disproportionate. This judgement by CAS, which ratifies FIFA's decision, is not good for us and defies all sporting logic.''

The Blaugrana chief has also called a presidential election for the coming summer to try and lift what he called the negative "tension" currently around the club. Bartomeu denied a falling-out between coach Luis Enrique and the team's talisman Lionel Messi as well.

On Monday, Blatter told Television Espanola: "It is important that in football decisions are accepted with respect because in football you learn to win but you also learn how to lose."

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