Mexes move gets go-ahead

Contract dispute
The 22-year-old French international agreed a four-year deal with the Italian side in June while still under contract at Auxerre. Mexes claimed he was able to move for €4m citing a clause in his Auxerre contract, but the French club disputed that fact.

FIFA ruling
His case was referred to FIFA, who today gave the transfer international clearance but suspended Mexes for six weeks for unilateral breach of contract, starting on 12 September - the day Roma begin their Serie A campaign at home to ACF Fiorentina.

Decision pending
FIFA's dispute resolution chamber will decide how much compensation is owed to Auxerre by Mexes, and is also investigating the roles of both Roma and a players' agent in the breach.

Mexes suspension
Roma have announced they will appeal the ban to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, but if they are unsuccessful Mexes will miss the first three UEFA Champions League matchdays, ruling him out of the opening home game against FC Dynamo Kyiv on 15 September and subsequent trips to Real Madrid CF and Bayer 04 Leverkusen.

Possible debut
Mexes, who is not in the France squad for this week's FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Israel and the Faroe Islands, will be available for Roma when they welcome US Città di Palermo on 24 October, and his Champions League bow could come at home to Leverkusen on 3 November.