Real, Atletico given 2-window transfer ban
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Real Madrid and neighbor Atletico Madrid have been banned from registering players for two transfer windows for breaching rules on signing non-Spanish under-18 players, world soccer’s governing body FIFA said yesterday.
The sanction means that the clubs, currently third and first, respectively, in Spain’s top division, will not be able to register any new signings until July 2017 once the present transfer window closes at the end of the month, meaning newly appointed Real coach Zinedine Zidane will be unable to strengthen his squad this summer.
There was no immediate comment from Real, while Atletico president Enrique Cerezo told Spanish radio station Cadena Ser the club will appeal.
Real’s great rival Barcelona, standing second in La Liga, was handed a similar penalty in April 2014 for breaking the same set of regulations.
However, its ban was not announced during a transfer window, meaning it was unable to make quick adjustments to its squad as Real and Atletico can over the next 2-1/2 weeks.
Barcelona took its appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, where it was rejected, and the ban eventually finished with the start of the current window, which runs until the end of January.
The Spanish and European champion bought Arda Turan from Atletico and Aleix Vidal from Sevilla in July but they were unable to play until the turn of the year, although still allowed to train with their new teammates.
Atletico was also fined 900,000 Swiss francs (US$900,000) and 10-time European champions Real 360,000 francs, FIFA said from its Zurich headquarters.
The two clubs were given 90 days to regularize their situation but can continue to sell players during the ban.
FIFA said that “the two clubs were found to have violated several provisions concerning the international transfer and first registration of minor players”.
The probe concerned players who participated in competitions with the clubs between 2007 and 2014 in the case of Atletico, and between 2005 and 2014 in the case of Real.
“FIFA works hard to protect the rights of players under the age of 18 — whether male or female, amateur or professional,” said FIFA in a statement.
“This is done through the enforcement of regulations prohibiting the international transfer of minors, or the first registration of minors in a country other than their own, except in specific circumstances.”
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 next two transfer windows are July/August 2016 and January 2017.
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