Transfer bans for Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid over signing underage players

Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid were both hit by a sanction from the governing body of world football, FIFA, for irregularities in their youth systems and will not be able to sign any new players either this summer or in January 2017.

The sanction is similar to that which was handed to FC Barcelona around 18 months ago, and related to the signing of foreign players below the age of 18.

In their communique, FIFA explained both Real and Atletico had "violated various dispositions related to the signing and registration of under-age foreign players," rules which Atletico infringed between 2007 and 2014 and Real Madrid broke between 2005 and 2014.

As well as the ban on new signings, Atletico has been fined 821,000 euros (around 895,500 U.S. dollars) and Real Madrid, 328,000 euros.

Both clubs are able to sign players until the end of January, although Atletico has already brought in two new players this month and significantly reduced the age of their squad.

The ban could harm Real Madrid more as the club presided over by Florentino Perez has several key players who are over 30 years old, and a ban would scupper plans to sign new superstars of the sport.

Meanwhile, FIFA's decision is another problem for Perez after a difficult few months which saw the sacking of the popular football manager Carlos Ancelotti, the failure and sacking of Rafael Benitez as coach, and the club's expulsion from the King's Cup for fielding an ineligible player. Endit