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Ammon News - AP - FIFA has cleared Barcelona to sign new players this offseason by freezing the club's one-year transfer embargo while the sanction is appealed.

FIFA says its appeal panel "considered that the appeal lodged by the club is to be granted suspensive effect."

FIFA says panel chairman Larry Mussenden took the decision because the case was unlikely to be resolved before the July 1 opening of the next transfer window.

Barcelona has pledged to pursue a further challenge at the Court of Arbitration for Sport if, as expected, it loses the initial appeal at FIFA.

Barcelona was barred from registering new players by FIFA's disciplinary committee as punishment for signing youth players from overseas in breach of rules designed to prevent child trafficking.