FIFA confirm transfer ban on Real, Atletico Madrid

FIFA on Thursday dismissed appeals by
Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid against a
ban on registering new players in the next
two transfer windows for irregularities in
the signing of foreign players under 18.
Real, who called the ruling “profoundly
unfair”, and Atletico were also fined 360,000
($358,000) and 900,000 Swiss Francs
respectively.
However, the two Spanish giants — last
season’s Champions League finalists —
have announced they will launch a final
appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport
(CAS).
“The FIFA Appeal Committee has decided to
reject the appeals lodged by Spanish clubs
Atletico de Madrid and Real Madrid and to
confirm in their entirety the decisions
rendered by the FIFA Disciplinary
Committee in the respective cases relating
to the protection of minors,” FIFA said in a
statement.
Both clubs were sanctioned in January, but
by appealing had temporarily held off the
ban during the transfer window which
closed last month.
They will now not be able to register any
new players in either of the next two
windows, in January 2017 and July-August
2017, before being able to do so once again
in January 2018.
Barcelona served a similar ban in 2015,
with an appeal to CAS proving unsuccessful
in their case.
European champions Real responded by
saying they will now go to the CAS in an
attempt to have the decision overturned “as
quickly as possible”.
“The club regrets the decision on the
ground that it is profoundly unfair and
contrary to the most elementary principles
of penal law,” read a statement posted on
their website.
“The club will begin the appropriate appeals
procedure before the Court of Arbitration for
Sport, requesting that the decision be
completely overturned, with absolute
confidence that said organisation will come
to an entirely favourable decision.
“Real Madrid will request that the procedure
be undertaken in an urgent manner in order
to obtain a decision from the CAS as
quickly as possible.”
Under international football rules, players
under 18 cannot be transferred to another
country, except in limited circumstances,
and all transfers need the approval of a
special FIFA committee.
Atletico insisted they had such clearance
from FIFA for the players under
investigation.
“Our club does not agree with the ruling
and therefore has decided to appeal before
the Court of Arbitration for Sport,” Atletico
said in a statement.
“Our organisation wishes to state that one
hundred percent of the licenses of our
players who are part of this investigation
and continue at the club have been
regularised by FIFA itself, receiving
authorisation from the sub-committee to
process the license and compete in different
(under-age) categories.”
Atletico used the close-season window to
make several new signings, including those
of France striker Kevin Gameiro from Sevilla
and Argentina midfielder Nicolas Gaitan
from Benfica.
Real had an unusually quiet summer in the
transfer market, although they did bring
Spain striker Alvaro Morata back to the
club from Juventus for around 30 million
euros ($34 million).