Both Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid have been banned from registering players for the next two transfer windows by FIFA after having been found guilty of breaking the rules over the transfer of minors, a decision both clubs say they will appeal.
Atletico were fined 900,000 Swiss francs (£622,000), while Real were told to pay 360,000 (£249,000).
The ban cover the next two transfer windows, which mean both clubs, are still able to make deals this January.
“Real Madrid will appeal this decision of Fifa in all the sporting incidents, considering them absolutely inappropriate,” Real said.
Atletico said: “Our club is not in agreement with the sanction from international football’s governing body and will study all the documentation we’ve received to present an appeal against the sanction.”
We heard the same rhetoric from Barcelona when they were given the same ban back in April of 2014, but it did not stop the Catalan giants from signing players, as they managed to bring in Arda Turan and Aleix Vidal last summer while knowing that neither player would be allowed to play until their ban was lifted this month.
Talking about how the ban will affect Real Madrid, BBC football expert Simon Stone said: “David de Gea, Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, and Sergio Aguero.
“All four have been linked with transfers involving Real Madrid, all four – and anyone else for that matter – could be affected by today’s announcement.
“If they want to revive their interest in De Gea, whose deadline-day transfer from Manchester United last summer collapsed as the paperwork was not completed on time, or pursue Manchester City striker Aguero, Real will do so knowing they could not play until the 2017-18 season.
“Equally, if they decide to sell a Galactico in Ronaldo or Bale, both of whom have been linked with Manchester United, Real know they cannot then bring in a high-profile replacement and immediately play them.
“On the face of it, it leaves the Spanish superpower in a state of flux, with new coach Zinedine Zidane only able to promote from within.
“Quite handy, therefore, they have secured 19-year-old Marco Asensio (currently on loan at Espanyol) from Mallorca, Jesus Vallejo, 19, who has returned to Real Zaragoza on loan and 17-year-old Norwegian Martin Odegaard from Stromsgodset.
“Odegaard is now in the Real Madrid B team Zidane managed before replacing Rafael Benitez as coach of the main side.
“Worth noting as well that Real Madrid do have a couple of options. They could spend the next 18 days on a recruitment campaign as the ban does not take effect until after the current window is closed. Or if they appeal against the sanction it will delay its implementation. Barcelona did this in 2014 and used the time to sign Luis Suarez from Liverpool.”
According to Spanish football writer Andy West Atletico are in a much better position to weather the ban: “Few clubs could be better placed to absorb a transfer ban than current La Liga leaders Atletico Madrid, who boast a deep squad and arguably the most talented batch of young players in Europe.
“Goalkeeper Jan Oblak (23), centre back Jose Maria Gimenez (20), midfielders Saul Niguez and Oliver Torres (both 21), and forwards Angel Correa (20), Luciano Vietto and Yannick Carrasco (both 22) are already established members of the squad.
“And perhaps as an indication that they had seen this news coming, they further strengthened in early January with the arrival of two central midfielders: Augusto Fernandez from Celta Vigo and Matias Kranevitter from River Plate.
“The only potential problem position is centre forward, where Jackson Martinez has struggled since signing from Porto in the summer and Fernando Torres has failed to score since September.
“Perhaps the answer will come from another of the club’s talented young players: 23 year-old Borja Baston, scorer of 10 league goals this season during a loan spell at Eibar.
“But Atletico’s biggest priority now will be ensuring they keep hold of their star player, French forward Antoine Griezmann, who is in talks to extend his contract with a new 100m euros (£75.4m) buy-out clause.”
Meanwhile Spanish football writer Andy West said it’s a case of we told you so: “The bans are naturally huge news in Spain, prompting frenzied speculation across the country’s media.
“The website of influential sports newspaper Marca is dominated by the story, publishing five different stories within a couple of hours of the news breaking.
“One of those speculates which loaned-out players Atletico and Real may look to bring back, while another article recalls how Barcelona managed to drag out the appeal against their ban to allow them to sign Luis Suarez and Ivan Rakitic in the summer of 2014.
“Another newspaper published in Madrid, AS, looks on the bright side by delivering an article which trumpets the “incredible technical repertoire” of Real’s teenage winger Marco Asensio, currently on loan at Espanyol.
“Barcelona’s media, predictably, have a different approach, with Sport quickly publishing a story headlined “The signings Florentino [Perez, Real president] cannot make,” including Eden Hazard, Paul Pogba and Mario Gotze.
“And with the news being anticipated for several months, there has also been a fair degree of ‘told-you-so’, with El Partido De Las 12, a radio show on Channel Cope, triumphantly tweeting: “We told you this would happen on 28 April 2015. The following day, Real Madrid denied it.”
