The Philadelphia Union faces a transfer ban due to an "outstanding debt", with the MLS club having been placed on FIFA's Registration Ban List.
It has been a tumultuous few months for the Union, with the franchise having parted company with head coach Jim Curtin following an underwhelming showing in the 2024 regular season campaign. His team finished 12th in the Eastern Conference standings, meaning that they missed out on the playoffs for a first time since 2017.
At the time of his departure, Curtin was the second-longest serving coach in MLS, having been at the helm at the Union for a decade. His time in Philadelphia had proven successful, with the highlight of his reign being his 2020 Supporters' Shield triumph, while also leading the Pennsylvanian outfit to the MLS Cup final in 2022.
He has now been replaced by ex-St. Louis City head coach Bradley Carnell but it appears that he will have to contend with a transfer ban during the infancy of his tenure. It has been confirmed by FIFA that the Union has been placed on its registration ban list, with no timeframe having been disclosed in relation to when the ruling will be lifted.
Bans of this type usually last for two to three transfer windows, with clubs unable to register any new signings during this period – but can be lifted at any time. FIFA's ruling in terms of temporary transfer bans reads: "This list includes clubs temporarily prohibited from registering new players due to various infractions, such as financial disputes or regulatory breaches.
"Serving as an essential tool for Member Associations, confederations, clubs, players, and agents, the FIFA Registration Ban List helps ensure transparency and compliance within the sport, allowing stakeholders to stay informed about which clubs are ineligible to sign new players during the ban period."
A FIFA spokesperson told Inquirer that the reason for the Union's transfer ban is due to outstanding debt. They said: "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."
Meanwhile, Andrew Visnovsky, a Los Angeles sports lawyer, told that report that Union fans should not be too concerned at this stage. He said: "I don’t think there’s much for Union fans to be worried about.
"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."
Visnovsky added: "I have a feeling this will get resolved long before that happens, and won’t necessarily affect any of their business but it is a bit of a frustration given the situation, and what they’re waiting on is kind of out of their control."
