Earlyface

La Liga giants Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid have been handed a one-year transfer ban by
FIFA, which bars them from registering new players in the next two transfer window.
A disciplinary committee has sanctioned the two Spanish clubs with the bans for the breach of
rules and regulations of the international transfer and registration of players under the age of
18.
However, the transfer ban does not apply to the ongoing transfer window and the two clubs
are free to sign and register players in the current window.
The sanction also does not prevent the clubs from selling players during the two transfer
windows in which they are not allowed to register players.
A statement on FIFA’s official website read: “The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has sanctioned
Spanish clubs Atletico 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, Atletico 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.”
In 2014 a similar ban was imposed on Catalan giants FC Barcelona, who were punished for
infringements in the transfer and registration of Under-18 players.
The Blaugrana were handed a transfer ban for two transfer windows, which prohibited them
from registering players in the winter and summer transfer windows of 2015.
The Camp Nou outfit did sign Arda Turan and Aleix Vidal in the summer of 2015, but were
unable to register the duo until January 2016.