Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid handed transfer bans

“Spanish football, through their clubs, supports the policy of protecting minors, and the concern for their development and for their training, ” the league said in a statement in response to FIFA’s ban on Thursday.

Along with city rivals Atletico Madrid, Real have been punished after they were said to have broken Fifa’s regulations on the global transfer and registration of players under the age of 18, with all four of Zidane’s sons included as part of the rule breach.

Real were hit with a £622,000 fine while Atletico must pay £249,000 but both clubs are still eligible to bring in players in the current window, which runs until the end of this month.

Zinedine Zidane is annoyed with Fifa’s “absurd” decision to ban Real Madrid from registering new players in the next two transfer windows.

“Real Madrid will appeal this decision of Federation Internationale de Football Association in all the sporting incidents, considering them absolutely inappropriate”, Real said.

“Our club does not agree with the imposed sanctioning ruling and will examine all the documentation received to lodge an appeal against the sanction”. Barca’s appeal failed and they were eventually banned from registering players during the January 2015 and summer 2015 windows. The clubs have been reprimanded following an alleged violation of the worldwide transfer and registration of players aged under 18.

The two clubs were given 90 days to regularise their situation but can continue to sell players during the ban. Ban relates to signing of non-Spanish under-18s.

Davis de Gea and Eden Hazard have been heavily linked with a move to Real Madrid but the club must act now or wait after 18 months in other to sign these players.

This is especially true in the case of Real Madrid, which is known for signing huge stars, or Galacticos, and for breaking the world record for the most expensive transfer fee several times.

Madrid have signalled their intent to take an appeal all the way to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is confident that Atletico Madrid’s shock two-window transfer ban will help him lure Diego Simeone to Stamford Bridge, according to reports from The Mirror.