Serie A side Spezia Calcio are facing a two-year transfer ban by FIFA for illegally signing underage players from Nigeria.Spezia were promoted to the top-flight last year for the first time and finished the maiden season in the Italian top flight on the 15th spot.They will be able to sign new players this summer, with the ban due to kick in from January 2022.##EDITORS_CHOICE##The two-year suspension is the longest transfer ban FIFA have ever handed out, while the international governing body also fined Spezia Sh58,835,400.”The FIFA Disciplinary Committee found that Spezia Calcio had breached article 19 of the FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players (RSTP) by bringing several Nigerian minors into Italy using a scheme aimed at circumventing the aforesaid RSTP article as well as national immigration law,” FIFA said in a statement.”The protection of minors is a key objective of the regulatory framework governing the football transfer system.”’Seniorman’ Iheanacho credits his Nigerian pal Ndidi for helping him settleBBC Sport Africa reported that the club illegally brought in 13 players from Nigeria between 2013-2017. Among them, the most famous is Umar Sadiq, the former AS Roma and Glasgow Rangers striker who is currently featured for the Spanish second-division slot Almeria.The club, which is based in the north of Italy and was bought by U.S. investors earlier this year, said they would appeal the ban.
