A look at FIFA’s transfer ban on Real Madrid and Atletico

Another Spanish club, FC Barcelona, has just finished serving such ban this January.

Real Madrid director general Jose Angel Sanchez has branded the ban on registering new signings handed down by Federation Internationale de Football Association “absolutely unjustified” and is confident the club will win an appeal.

Wenger appeared to have some sympathy and suggested the punishment will be overturned.

However, their ban was not announced during a transfer window, meaning they were unable to make quick adjustments to their squad as Real and Atletico can over the next two and a half weeks. “That’s what will happen”.

A statement released on Atletico’s official website confirmed that they will also challenge FIFA’s ruling.

However, La Liga has come to the defence of both clubs and claimed that all Spanish clubs adhere to the rules to ensure the rights and interests of young players are protected. Real Madrid was due to address the ban in a news conference on Thursday.

“According to the communication from the worldwide football body, the sanction was caused by the infringement of articles 5, 9, 19 and 19A and annexes 2 and 3 of the Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players”.

Meanwhile, AS lead with an image of Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane at his unveiling pictured with his four sons above the headline: “Two of Zidane’s sons”.

The Spanish sides were found to have broken the organisation’s rules in relation to worldwide transfers of players under 18 years of age.

However, they are free to sign players for the remainder of the current window, which runs until the end of the month.

The sanction is similar to the one served by European champions Barcelona in 2015.

Although both players were prevented from playing until the current window opened, they were still able to agree deals with the Nou Camp outfit.

“If they [Real and Atletico] go to the appealing committee and the Court of Arbitration, they will have time to sign people in the summer window”.

The FIFA statement added: “The investigations concerned minor players who were involved and participated in competitions with the clubs over various periods between 2007 and 2014 [Atletico Madrid] and between 2005 and 2014 [Real Madrid]”.