Zidane blasts ‘absurd’ transfer ban on Real Madrid

Real Madrid and their neighbours Atletico Madrid have been banned from signing new players for two transfer windows for breaching rules over the transfer of under-18 players, world soccer’s governing body Federation Internationale de Football Association said on Thursday (Friday AEDT).

Real Madrid’s transfer ban for the next two windows means any plans of persuading Alvaro Morata to return to the club are all but gone.

Both team of Madrid will be in for a ban from registering any new players in this transfer window as they are seemingly broke some regulations.

The ban will start from the July transfer window and finish with the January transfer market in 2017. Atletico president Enrique Cerezo told Spanish radio station Cadena Ser that they would also contest the verdict. The Catalan club signed players such as Arda Turan and Aleix Vidal after the ban took effect again, but couldn’t register them until this month.

Under worldwide football rules, players under 18 can not be transferred to another country, except in limited circumstances and all transfers need the approval of a special FIFA committee.

However, both clubs have appealed against the sanction and former France worldwide Zidane – whose four sons are all on Real’s books and have been used by the Spanish giants to argue they have been wrongly punished – is confident the matter will be sorted out soon. “It’s simple, they made a mistake and the club definitely has the right to appeal”, said the manager.

In that time they were to sign Ivan Rakitic and Luis Suarez, both of whom played critical roles in the treble Barcelona claimed last season.

As explained by the Independent’s Jack de Menezes, Zidane’s sons, Enzo, Luca, Elyaz and Theo-each of whom is in the Real Madrid academy-are all mentioned in the FIFA report as examples of how Real breached regulations.

The transfer is between two European clubs, with the player older than 16.

Thomas Barnard, sports specialist solicitor at Thomas Eggar, has warned that this could have a major impact on Premier League clubs regardless of the outcome.

The club, though, have fumed at the decision and Real director general Jose Angel Sanchez even dubbed the ban “absolutely unjustified” according to the BBC.