CAS upholds two-year transfer-ban for 1. FC Köln
The international Court for Arbitration of Sport (CAS) issued a ruling upholding the transfer ban placed open relegation-threatened Bundesliga side 1. FC Köln on Thursday afternoon.
After an appeal allowed Köln to continue conducting transfer business this past summer, Germany's cathedral city side must now contend with two full seasons in which they cannot add additional players.
A transfer ban handed down to 1. FC Köln last spring after alleged illegal practices in luring Slovenian striker Jaka Cuber Potocnik to join Germany's Geißböcke was suspended over the summer whilst Germany's cathedral city side lodged an appeal. There was unfortunately bad news for the Effzeh on Thursday as the International Court for Arbitration of Sport (CAS) announced that it would reject the appeal and uphold the ban.
After an appeal allowed Köln to continue conducting transfer business this past summer, Germany's cathedral city side must now contend with two full seasons in which they cannot add additional players.
Köln must now contend with the inability to add new players for a full two seasons. The club suffered another bitter blow on a very dark day that already saw them part company with trainer Steffen Baumgart. The German club - having rejected a demand for €2.5 million in damages from Potocnik's club NK Olimpija Ljubljana - will be responsible for a fine amounting to €52,000.
"We are very disappointed with the ruling," FC managing director Christian Keller noted in a statement released by the Domstädter, "At least we now have clarity and the long months of limbo are over with. We have always said that we'd take the transfer ban into our squad planning accordingly. In every challenge, there lies an opportunity. It's with this attitude that we'll look ahead and attempt to tackle this challenge."