Athletic Bilbao has been officially added to FIFA’s Registration Bans list, resulting in a prohibition on signing new players for the next three transfer windows. The confirmation from football’s world governing body signals a significant, though potentially temporary, hurdle for the La Liga side.
Scope and Duration of the Ban
According to the tracking data provided by FIFA, the ban is scheduled to cover a substantial period of the club’s upcoming recruitment cycles:
- Summer 2026
- Winter 2027
- Summer 2027
Under these current terms, the Basque club would only become eligible to register new additions to their squad in the Winter 2028 transfer window.
The Registration Bans List
The “Registration Bans” list is an administrative tool used by FIFA to track clubs that are temporarily barred from registering new players. Such bans are typically triggered by:
- Financial Disputes: Outstanding payments to other clubs or players.
- Regulatory Non-compliance: Breaches of international transfer rules.
- Contractual Issues: Disagreements over sell-on clauses or training compensation.
While FIFA has not publicly disclosed the exact breach that led to Bilbao’s inclusion, the list is used to enforce discipline across the global transfer market.
Club Response: “A Mere Formality”
Athletic Club has moved quickly to downplay the severity of the situation, characterizing the ban as an administrative hiccup rather than a long-term crisis.
In an official statement, the club described the ban as “a mere formality, a minor matter that will have no further impact.” Club sources further clarified that the issue stems from a “disagreement over some rights to a player,” and expressed confidence that the matter “will be resolved in the coming hours.”
Impact on La Liga Campaign
Athletic Bilbao is renowned for its unique Cantera policy, which restricts its recruitment to players from the Basque region. While this policy inherently limits their activity in the transfer market, a formal FIFA ban prevents the registration of even eligible Basque players from other clubs.
If the club fails to resolve the underlying dispute quickly, they will be forced to rely entirely on their existing squad and academy graduates for the next eighteen months. However, the optimistic tone from the San Mamés hierarchy suggests they expect the ban to be lifted before the Summer 2026 window officially opens.
Source: Africa Publicity
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