Two French clubs get FIFA transfer ban for staged player deal

Angers and Paris FC, which is chasing promotion to the top division, were each banned from registering new players for one transfer window and fined 30,000 Swiss francs.

The clubs were found to have arranged a bridge transfer for a player who joined Paris FC last July and then signed for Angers six weeks later (Representative Image).

French football team Angers and second-division club Paris FC were banned from the transfer market on Friday for staging a player deal to avoid paying a fee.

Angers and Paris FC, which is chasing promotion to the top division, were each banned from registering new players for one transfer window and fined 30,000 Swiss francs ($33,000), FIFA said.

The clubs were found to have arranged a “bridge transfer” for a player who joined Paris FC last July and then signed for Angers six weeks later.

“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,” FIFA added.

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“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.”

FIFA did not identify the player who it said previously played for amateur clubs in France and Spain. Transfer rules can entitle a player's previous clubs to get a share of future transfer fees.

The career details match those of 23-year-old French-Congolese winger Kevin Bemanga. Angers loaned Bemanga to Swiss club FC Sion this year.

Angers is currently in 12th place in the 2020-21 French Ligue 1 season. Paris FC is in sixth place in the second division and could qualify for the promotion playoffs.

It was unclear if the transfer bans will apply in the upcoming off-season, or could be delayed if the clubs appeal against the given punishment.