Cologne To Take FIFA To CAS Over Transfer Ban

German football club Cologne has announced plans to appeal against the decision made by FIFA, banning the club from signing any new players for the next two transfer windows.

The ban is in connection with the signing of youth player Jaka Potocnik from Slovenian club Olimpija Ljubljana, which FIFA ruled was completed with the encouragement of Cologne, constituting a breach of contract.

Cologne has denied any wrongdoing, stating that Potocnik opted to cancel his contract with Olimpija Ljubljana after multiple breaches of contract by the club.

The club will now appeal the ruling to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and is also seeking to suspend the FIFA ban until a final decision is made. Potocnik himself has also received a four-month ban and been ordered to pay Ljubljana €51,750 in damages, alongside Cologne.