Barcelona President Josep Maria Bartomeu has said the club always expected to take their transfer ban appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
La Blaugrana have been barred by FIFA from making any signings between the close of the current window and the window opening in January 2016 due to the transfer of underage players.
Barca appealed the decision but the appeal to FIFA was rejected, Bartomeu telling reporters that he expected that to happen and CAS was always their more likely avenue.
“We were aware the ban could be ratified by the appeal and that’s what we wanted, because it was very clear we had to resort to CAS,” Marca reports the President as saying.
“Hopefully in the coming months it is resolved in CAS in a form more favourable to our interests."
Bartomeu added that the club’s summer transfers have been based around not being able to sign players for the next 18 months.
“We planned the season thinking there would be two windows where we were unable to sign,” he went on.
“Moreover, we have an advantage that we have a B team with a great future. We saw Munir El Haddadi [against Elche] but there are other B team players who can play in the first team.”
A Munir goal helped Barca to a League-opening win over Elche, with Lionel Messi scoring twice in the 3-0 win.
Bartomeu predicted another close title race, with Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid again in the running, along with the Catalans.
“We will have many rivals in the League, especially Atletico, the reigning champions,” he continued.
“Therefore, they are a great opponent who deserve our respect and from every team.”
