FIFA have banned Roma from buying players for a year following their controversial signing of Auxerre defender Philippe Mexes in 2004.
Roma are expected to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), as they already paid Auxerre an €8m indemnity as punishment for their part in the Mexes deal.
World football’s governing body FIFA handed Mexes a six-week suspension last September after he joined Roma despite still being contracted to Auxerre.
As a result of the ban, Roma will be unable to sign new players for the forthcoming campaign, though it is thought that Shabani Nonda, Samuel Kuffour and Rodrigo Taddei, all of whom have signed on free transfers, will be allowed to join the Serie A club.
