Manchester City escape transfer ban despite breaching FIFA rules

FIFA decided not to issue a transfer ban against Manchester City on Tuesday despite finding the club guilty of breaching rules relating to the signing of players under the age of 18.

City escaped with a fine of 370,000 Swiss francs (£315,000) because they accepted responsibility for their actions.

An investigation revealed the reigning Premier League champions did indeed violate Article 19 of FIFA's Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players, which states that "international transfers of players are only permitted if the player is over 18."

City committed the same breach that resulted in FIFA handing a ban to Chelsea, who were reprimanded in February for signing 29 underage players. Chelsea's initial appeal against the embargo - which is set to expire after the 2020 winter transfer window - was unsuccessful. The club escalated the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in June and is awaiting a verdict.

Reports in March suggested City would face a similar fate. It's unclear how many underage players the club may have registered, but The Times of London's Martyn Ziegler believed that Jadon Sancho's move to City was under review. Sancho joined the team from Watford as a 14-year-old.

FIFA was also reportedly looking into City's relationship with Danish outfit Nordsjaelland. Danish newspaper Politiken alleged that City had signed a binding contract giving them the right to pluck talent from Nordsjaelland's Right to Dream Academy in Ghana. Nordsjaellend's president, Tom Vernon, denied the accusations.

There are, however, exceptions to FIFA's regulations. Minors are allowed to join a club in another country if their parents move there for reasons "not linked to football," according to FIFA. Players between the ages of 16 and 18 are also permitted to switch clubs if the transfer takes place within the European Union or the European Economic Area.