FIFA blocks transfer activity for Tirana and Dinamo over unpaid debts

Two of Albania’s most prominent football clubs, Tirana and Dinamo, have had their transfer markets officially blocked by FIFA as part of disciplinary actions for failing to settle financial obligations with former players or staff. The update was made public on FIFA’s official platform during its April disciplinary listings.

Why this is important: With this decision, the clubs are barred from registering new players for the next three transfer windows — a serious blow to their sporting ambitions, especially as Tirana battles on the pitch and Dinamo looks to stabilize in the Superliga.

Context: According to FIFA’s database, the sanctions are not limited to Tirana and Dinamo. Other Albanian clubs also appear with ongoing or unresolved disciplinary cases related to contractual breaches.

Dinamo received its sanction on April 4, prohibiting them from signing players until further notice. While FIFA hasn’t disclosed the individual case behind the penalty, the club now faces immediate pressure to resolve the issue to avoid long-term consequences.

Tirana, already struggling with poor form on the field, saw a second transfer ban added on April 8, following a previous one issued on March 25. Club president Refik Halili is now under growing pressure to address both the financial and sporting crises hitting the team.

What caused the bans: FIFA’s rules require clubs to fulfill all contractual and financial obligations to current and former players, coaches, or officials. Failure to do so — especially after losing disputes in FIFA tribunals — results in sanctions such as transfer bans until debts are cleared.

The way forward: The process for lifting the ban is straightforward: clubs must fully pay the outstanding debts to the parties involved and notify FIFA, which will then lift the restriction. However, FIFA does not publicly name the individuals involved in the cases, leaving clubs to manage the fallout privately.

The bans place affected clubs at a major disadvantage in building competitive squads, particularly during the summer transfer window. With these sanctions now public, Tirana and Dinamo must act quickly or risk falling behind their rivals in both the league and European qualification races.