„Barcelona“ club president Josep Bartomeu announced that he will not attend the Ballon d'Or award ceremony because he wants to sever all ties with FIFA.
The sports arbitration court recently decided to support FIFA's decision to ban "Barcelona" from acquiring new players during the next two transfer windows due to violations in signing contracts with underage players.
The Catalan club constantly expresses dissatisfaction with this punishment, and Bartomeu decided to do so by boycotting the awards ceremony on January 12, even though "Barcelona" star Lionel Messi is among the three candidates for the best player in the world.
„FIFA has not told us who brought the original charges, so during the period when the sanctions are in force, we will not maintain any institutional relationships,“ the president said at a press conference.
„I sent a letter to Sepp Blatter that I will not attend the Ballon d'Or ceremony on January 12.“
„This is not the end of the events. I think that the 'Barça' case will become as much of a watershed in the football world as the Bosman case.“
„No matter how long it lasts, we will not lose the case.“
