Bradley Carnell's new side, Philadelphia Union, has been handed a transfer ban by FIFA.
Carnell was appointed as the new Union boss at the beginning of this month, replacing Jim Curtin, who had been in charge of the club since January 2015.
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The South African signed a two-year contract with Union, now the third Major League Soccer club he has worked with after stints as assistant coach of New York Red Bulls and head coach of St. Louis City SC.
Less than two weeks into his new job, Carnell has encountered his first hurdle, as his side has been temporarily banned from making transfers for the next three windows due to outstanding payments.
According to Philadelphia-based news outlet Inquirer, a FIFA spokesperson said in a statement: "We can confirm that Philadelphia Union is currently prevented from registering new players in connection with the payment of an outstanding debt.
"The ban will be lifted once the payment has been confirmed by the creditor concerned."
The ban stems from an issue involving Jose Riasco, a Venezuelan striker on the Union's reserve squad. It is reported that when Union signed him from Venezuelan club Deportivo La Guaira in March 2022, there wasn't just a transfer fee.
FIFA has a rule requiring a small percentage of the payment to go to the youth club that first developed the player as a reward for the club's work.
Due to this condition, it is reported that Union were required to pay a small fee of $700 (R13 218), but the American club failed to track down a way to pay Mineros.
A Mineros lawyer spotted the missed payment and flagged it to FIFA. It is said that by the time Union managed to make the payment, it was too late to avoid landing on FIFA's ban list on 4 December 2024.
Andrew Visnovsky, a Los Angeles-based sports lawyer, told Inquirer that it was too early for Union to panic, as the situation could be easily resolved before the MLS transfer window opens on 31 January 2025.
"I don't think there's much for Union fans to be worried about," said Visnovsky. "The time by which someone should be worried is probably if it gets closer to the start of the season and the start of games, and there are players that are signed that need to be registered.
"I have a feeling this will get resolved long before that happens and won't necessarily affect any of their business," he said. "But it is a bit of a frustration given the situation, and what they're waiting on is kind of out of their control."
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By Lukhanyo Mtuta
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