Real Madrid And Atletico Madrid Both Receive One-Year Transfer Bans

While the January transfer window is in full swing, it will be the last chance that both Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid will have to do any shopping until the summer of 2017 as both clubs were hit with a FIFA transfer ban.

Similar to Barcelona, who also received a recent ban, the clubs reportedly violated rules related to the registration and transfers of players under the age of 18. Atletico has also been fined roughly £622,000; Real’s fine comes in at approximately £250,000.

The current window will not be affected, but neither club will be permitted to sign new players during the summer of 2016 or January 2017 windows. They are allowed to sell players, however.

The sanctions will undoubtedly send a ripple through world football, although it remains to be seen which way the trend will go. The clubs could be forced into action and embark on spending sprees to bring in a year’s worth of players or stand pact and refuse to sell any of their major contributors. Either way, it will be interesting to follow the sagas of Gareth Bale, Cristiano Ronaldo, Isco, David De Gea and others who have been linked with moves to or away from the clubs.

While both clubs can appeal the decision, FIFA issued the following statement regarding their findings:

The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has sanctioned Spanish clubs Atlético de Madrid and Real Madrid for breaches relating to the international transfer and registration of players under the age of 18.

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.

Both clubs are to serve a transfer ban that prevents them from registering any players at national and international level for the next two complete and consecutive registration periods for breaching articles 5, 9, 19 and 19bis as well as annexes 2 and 3 of the Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players (the “Regulations”).

The transfer ban, which does not affect the current registration period at all, given that it opened before the decisions were notified, applies to each club as a whole – with the exception of the women’s, futsal and beach soccer teams – and does not prevent the release of players.

Additionally, Atlético de Madrid and Real Madrid have been fined CHF 900,000 and CHF 360,000 respectively, while both clubs have been issued with a reprimand and given 90 days in which to regularise the situation of all minor players concerned.

The decisions, which were notified to the parties concerned today, were made based on the specific elements of each case. They follow investigations initially conducted by FIFA Transfer Matching System GmbH (FIFA TMS) and subsequently by the FIFA Disciplinary Committee as part of disciplinary proceedings.

The investigations concerned minor players who were involved and participated in competitions with the clubs over various periods between 2007 and 2014 (Atlético de Madrid) and between 2005 and 2014 (Real Madrid).

Image: Lionel Messi of FC Barcelona duels for the ball with Arda Turan of Atletico de Madrid during the Spanish Super Cup second leg match between FC Barcelona and Atletico de Madrid at Nou Camp on August 28, 2013 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

Article by Joe Kozlowski