FIFA rejects Barcelona exception to player transfer rules

FIFA refuses Barcelona special permission to sign another defender after Thomas Vermaelen has been ruled out for months due to injury. The imposition which resulted from Barca's defiance to the rules on international signings of young players, was reportedly attempted to be boycotted by the club with an emergency signing under "exceptional situations" in Spanish federation rules. Speaking about the embargo which takes effect from January to span for a year, the football governing body told Barcelona that it did not support an exception for signing players during offseasons.