FIFA has hit Turkish giants Fenerbahce with a three-window transfer ban over unpaid instalments for Youssef En-Nesyri
Fenerbahce have been hit with a three-transfer-window registration ban by FIFA after failing to pay an instalment owed to Sevilla for the transfer of Youssef En-Nesyri.
The Turkish giants say the sanction is temporary and expect it to be lifted once they complete a FIFA-ordered payment, while the punishment comes amid separate financial scrutiny from UEFA.
Fenerbahce hit with FIFA transfer ban
FIFA confirmed the three-window registration ban on Fenerbahce on Friday, meaning the Istanbul club could be prevented from registering new players until the end of the 2027-28 winter transfer window if the sanction is not lifted earlier.
Fenerbahce said the ban relates to an unpaid instalment from En-Nesyri’s transfer from Sevilla during the 2024-25 season.
The club explained that an instalment due on 30 April 2026 was not paid, prompting Sevilla to take the matter to FIFA. Fenerbahce’s new administration subsequently settled the overdue amount, although FIFA also ordered the club to pay a subsequent instalment.
The Turkish club said it will make that payment on Monday and expects the registration ban to be lifted once the necessary procedures are completed.
Fenerbahce signed En-Nesyri from Sevilla in July 2024 on a five-year contract, with the €19.5 million transfer fee structured across eight instalments over four years.
Financial pressure grows at Turkish giants
The FIFA ban arrives after Fenerbahce were also punished by UEFA for breaching its squad-cost limit.
UEFA’s Club Financial Control Body imposed a €7 million fine in July after finding that Fenerbahce’s squad costs reached 84 per cent of football-related revenue during the 2025 financial year, above the permitted 70 per cent threshold.
Fenerbahce have appealed that sanction. The club’s latest financial report showed ₺9.7 billion in football-related revenue, while it committed €124 million in transfer fees across the two transfer windows.
Fenerbahce are not the only Turkish club to have faced FIFA registration restrictions over financial obligations. Kayserispor, Sivasspor, Sariyer and Serik Belediyespor were also handed three-registration-period bans in September 2026.
The developments have also drawn attention to Manchester City, who were recently found guilty of 114 of 115 financial-rule charges by an independent Premier League commission. However, City’s punishment has yet to be determined, meaning there is currently no confirmed link between the cases.
For Fenerbahce, the immediate issue is more straightforward: settle the outstanding obligation and complete the required FIFA procedures to have the registration ban lifted.