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Soccer-Ben Arfa cannot play for Nice this season - French League

PARIS, Jan 30 (Reuters) - Hatem Ben Arfa will not be able to play official matches for Nice after the French League ruled on Friday that he had appeared in competitive games for Hull City and Newcastle United this season. FIFA regulations state that "players may be registered with a maximum of three clubs during one season. During this period, the player is only eligible to play official matches for two clubs." French authorities had asked FIFA to look into Ben Arfa's situation due to doubts about whether his appearance in a match for Newcastle United's development side was regarded as a competitive fixture. The LFP said that FIFA explained that the Under-21 Professional Development League games had to be considered as official. "In application of this decision... the LFP has no other choice but to ban Hatem Ben Arfa from playing official matches with Nice until the end of the season," a LFP statement said. Ben Arfa is free to train with Nice. The 27-year-old forward, who has scored two goals in 13 games for France and won his last cap in 2012, is now out of action for the next six months after his contract with Newcastle was terminated to allow him to join Nice on an 18-month deal as a free agent. Ben Arfa was loaned by Newcastle to Hull City until December and played in eight Premier League games this season. (Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Ed Osmond)