Barcelona is now free to sign players in the summer transfer window after a FIFA ban over the signing of youth players was suspended to let the appeal process play out.

The chairman of Fifa's appeal committee, Larry Mussenden, said he had decided to grant the "suspensive effect." 

This was expected to be a particularly important offseason for Barcelona with the departures of Carles Puyol and Victor Valdes.

FIFA has recently made the protection of minors a priority. In its original decision it said: "On the basis of this analysis, the committee concluded that 'the interest in protecting the appropriate and healthy development of a minor as a whole must prevail over purely sporting interests'."