Football
Dermot Corrigan, Madrid correspondent 8y

FIFA should allow Barcelona to register Arda Turan - La Liga chief Tebas

La Liga president Javier Tebas has backed Barcelona's bid to register midfielder Arda Turan to play immediately in domestic competition in place of the injured Rafinha.

Barca signed Turan from Atletico Madrid and Aleix Vidal from Sevilla in the summer, despite being unable to register the pair due to the one-year transfer ban imposed by FIFA over breaches of youth transfer regulations.

The club have approached FIFA about allowing the Turkey international to take part in La Liga games in place of Rafinha -- who ruptured his cruciate ligaments last month and is out for six months -- and are seeking to take advantage of a Spanish FA regulation which allows for the substitution of long-term injury absentees.

While FIFA has not publicly commented on the matter, it has been reported that it will hold out for the punishment to remain until the opening of the next transfer window in January 2016.

However, Tebas insists his view is that the Spanish FA rule can be used in this case.

"In Spain, clubs are permitted to incorporate a player when another is out injury for a period of five months or longer," Tebas said. "I think Barca are within their right to do so. I think they should be authorised [by FIFA] to register Turan."

Catalan football federation president Andreu Subies has told Catalan radio that the particular article in the Spanish FA's rulebook does not apply to FIFA.

"FIFA does not recognise the article that allows for the registration of Arda Turan," he said.

After Barcelona's punishment, there remains the possibility that other La Liga clubs, including Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid, will also be punished by FIFA for their own breaches of youth player regulations.

Subies claimed to have information that cases against the two Madrid sides, and other big La Liga clubs, would soon conclude with punishments handed out.

"There are cases open against Madrid, Atletico, Valencia, Sevilla and Villarreal," he said. "They could end up with punishments similar to those of Barca. In the coming days there will be news about Spanish clubs with open cases that could end up with punishments."

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