FIFA on Thursday banned Real Madrid and
Atletico Madrid from buying players for one year
over their dealing in under-age players.
The ban will start from the July transfer window
this year and finish with the January transfer
market in 2017.
Atletico were also fined 900,000 Swiss francs
(820,000 euros) and Real 360,000 (330,000
euros).
“The two clubs were found to have violated
several provisions concerning the international
transfer and first registration of minor players
as well as other relevant provisions with regard
to the registration and participation of certain
players in competitions,” said a FIFA statement. Barcelona has just ended a one year ban for
similar reasons.
Real and Atletico were “issued with a reprimand
and given 90 days in which to regularise the
situation of all minor players concerned,” FIFA
said. They can still sell players during the
transfer ban.
FIFA said the alarm was raised over the two
clubs by FIFA’s Transfer Matching System and
its disciplinary committee completed the inquiry.
Under international football rules, players under
18 cannot be transferred to another country,
except in limited circumstances. All transfers
need the approval of a special FIFA committee.
“The investigations concerned minor players
who were involved and participated in
competitions with the clubs over various periods
between 2007 and 2014 (Atletico Madrid) and
between 2005 and 2014 (Real Madrid),” FIFA
said.
The ban follows a similar sanction handed to
European champions Barcelona, who were
unable to register new players during 2015.
Barca were initially banned in April 2014, but
managed to delay the sanction taking affect
until the transfer windows in January and the
summer 2015 by launching an ultimately
unsuccessful appeal to the Court of Arbitration
for Sport (CAS).
By delaying the ban, Barca managed to sign the
likes of Luis Suarez and Ivan Rakitic in the
summer of 2014 to propel them to a treble of La
Liga, Champions League and Copa del Rey.
The news is just the latest institutional
embarassment for Real Madrid just over a week
after they appointed French legend Zinedine
Zidane.
Madrid have sacked two Champions League
winning coaches in Carlo Ancelotti and Rafael
Benitez in the past seven months, as well as
being thrown out of the Copa del Rey for
fielding an ineligible player.
The sanction could also be bad news for the
likes of Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester
United, who had targeted Madrid stars Cristiano
Ronaldo and Gareth Bale with Real highly
unlikely to dispose of their best players without
the chance to sign suitable replacements.
La Liga leaders Atletico Madrid’s usually hectic
transfer policy will also be put on hold.
However, Diego Simeone’s men look better
placed to cope with the ban having invested
heavily in young talent over the past year.
Neither Real no Atletico made an immediate
comment on whether they would appeal.

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