The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has sanctioned the French clubs Paris FC and Angers SCO with a fine of CHF 30,000 and a transfer ban, at both national and international level, for one registration period for breaches concerning the provisions on bridge transfers included in article 5bis of the Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players.

This is the first time that FIFA’s judicial bodies have imposed a sanction for breaches regarding bridge transfers since the provisions entered into force in 2020. The case relates to a player who signed his first professional contract with Paris FC on 1 July 2020 and registered with the said club on 6 July 2020, after having played in France and Spain as an amateur. Six weeks later, the player was transferred to Angers SCO and duly registered on 18 August 2020.

Following an investigation carried out by the FIFA Regulatory Enforcement Department, the Disciplinary Committee found that the clubs failed to rebut the presumption that a bridge transfer took place. Taking into account all the facts and circumstances concerning the case, it was ruled that the transfer to Paris FC had not been arranged for the purpose of the player playing organised football, but rather to circumvent the rules concerning training compensation.