Arda Turan And Aleix Vidal Eligible To Play For Barcelona After Transfer Ban Expiration

Arda Turan and Aleix Vidal have finally gotten their chance to play for Barcelona. The two midfielders will become eligible to play for Barcelona on Wednesday after the club’s one-year ban on new players expires. They will make their debuts when Barcelona hosts Espanyol in the first leg of the Copa del Rey on Wednesday, merely four days after their last matchup against their rivals, which ended in a 0-0 draw in the Spanish League.

ARDA TURAN AND ALEIX VIDAL ELIGIBLE TO PLAY FOR BARCELONA

“Both will participate tomorrow,” Barcelona coach Luis Enrique said Tuesday. “I don’t know how many minutes each will play, but they will be able to wear the Barcelona shirt.”

Barcelona was forbidden by FIFA from signing new players in 2015 for breaking rules regarding the transfer of underage players to its youth teams. Despite this ban, the club was able to secure deals with Atletico Madrid for Turan and with Sevilla for Vidal last summer. Turan has only played two competitive games with his national team, Turkey, over the first half of this season, and Spaniard Vidal has only played a friendly with Catalonia’s regional selection. The latter is very versatile, and can play either right back or winger.

Barcelona’s biggest rival to secure its title in the Copa del Rey is Atletico Madrid.

Caption:BARCELONA, SPAIN – AUGUST 28: Lionel Messi of FC Barcelona duels for the ball with Arda Turan of Atletico de Madrid during the Spanish Super Cup second leg match between FC Barcelona and Atletico de Madrid at Nou Camp on August 28, 2013 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)