FFF to block Ben Arfa's Nice move - source

PARIS (Reuters) - Hatem Ben Arfa's registration with Ligue 1 club Nice will be refused by the French federation (FFF) after FIFA ruled that he had already played competitive games for the maximum two clubs this season, an FFF source said on Wednesday.

The FFF 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.

Ben Arfa was loaned by Newcastle to Hull City until December and has played in eight Premier League games this season.

World soccer's governing body has told the FFF that the U-21 match "must be considered as official regarding the rules" and "must be taken into account when applying the rules", Nice said in a statement on their website (www.ogcnice.com).

"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," FIFA regulations state.

While FIFA have issued a non-binding assessment of the case, an FFF source told Reuters it would not be possible for the federation to overlook the verdict and register Ben Arfa as a Nice player.

"Should a club protest against Ben Arfa being fielded and a procedure be launched, we already know what the final ruling would be," the source said.

The 27-year-old playmaker, who has scored two goals in 13 games for France and won his last cap in 2012, could now be out of action for the next six months after his contract with Newcastle was terminated to allow him to join Nice as a free agent.

(Reporting by Gregory Blachier; Editing by Ed Osmond and Toby Davis)