Fenerbahçe face three‑window ban as En‑Nesyri payment stalls

Fenerbahçe have been placed on FIFA’s registration ban list, receiving a provisional three‑window sanction after Sevilla lodged a claim over an overdue instalment for the 2024 signing of forward Youssef En‑Nesyri. The Turkish side said the outstanding sum will be transferred on Monday, which should lift the ban immediately.

Why En‑Nesyri was signed

The club paid a reported 19.5 million euros to bring the Moroccan striker from Sevilla in the summer of 2024, hoping to plug a goal‑scoring gap left by earlier departures. En‑Nesyri now features for Al‑Ittihad after a February move worth 15 million euros. His arrival was intended to bolster a front line that had struggled for goals since the departure of a previous striker.

Payment dispute triggers ban

The controversy stems from an instalment that was due on 30 April 2026 but was delayed, prompting Sevilla to file an official claim with FIFA. In response, FIFA accelerated the next payment deadline originally set for October and logged a default three‑window restriction on the Registration Ban List. The sanction automatically blocks the Yellow‑Navy Blues from registering any new domestic or international signings until the debt is cleared.

Club’s response and immediate remedy

Fenerbahçe management confirmed the outstanding amount will be wired directly to Sevilla on Monday, which will trigger the immediate removal of the sanction. The club stressed that the issue is purely administrative and will not affect its plans for the upcoming January transfer window.

Financially, Fenerbahçe carries debts of 430 million euros and UEFA has warned that its wage bill exceeds revenue. Summer 2026 saw the arrival of Mason Greenwood for 39 million euros, Sidiki Cherif for 18 million euros, Vedat Muriqi for 15.5 million euros and Kojo Oppong for 12 million euros, while the overall transfer deficit was reported at 70 million euros. Reported figures for recent deals range from 12 million euros, 15 million euros, 15.5 million euros to 18 million euros, and a separate controversy centres on a 2.9 million euro instalment originally due on 31 October. Despite qualifying for the Champions League, the team has gathered only ten points from six league matches and sits sixth in the table.

Fenerbahçe will disclose complete financial records, transfer liabilities and auditor figures to congress members during its Ordinary General Assembly in Istanbul, aiming for full transparency after the episode.