Impending Real Madrid and Atletico transfer bans set to shake up summer market

Andy Mitten breaks down the implications of the oncoming transfer bans being dealt out by Fifa to Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid.

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti could be hampered from bringing new recruits to the Santiago Bernabeu by a transfer ban. Gerard Julien / AFP

Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid will be hit with an immediate transfer ban for the next two transfer windows according to respected sources in Spain.

Cadena Ser and Cadena COPE radio stations reported that Fifa will hand out the same sanction as Barcelona have already received, meaning the club are unable to buy or sell new players in 2015.

Barca’s sanctions followed an anonymous formal complaint prompting a Fifa investigation which subsequently found them guilty of continually breaking rules around signing underage players. Barca appealed, but forewarned of the probable ban, were able to buy extra players in 2014. Their punishment was upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sport on December 30, 2014.

The Madrid clubs would also be likely to appeal to have their bans suspended, pending a full hearing as Barca did. Their bans would then likely start in 2016. It’s believed that Fifa are also investigating other Spanish clubs.

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According to Cadena Ser, Atletico will be the first of the clubs to be notified of the suspension, although both clubs were aware that Fifa were investigating them. The assumption is that they were following Spanish and not Fifa rules.

Atletico spent more last summer than in any close season in their history and also bought Fernando Torres and Cani in the January transfer window, while Real Madrid were busy in the January transfer window, spending over EU€50 million (Dh202m) to bring in four players. There was surprise that Madrid paid €30m for full-back Danilo from FC Porto only to announce that he’ll arrive in the summer, but the reason behind their stocking up on players could become clearer.

Madrid also bought Martin Odegaard for €2.3m – a figure which could rise by 50 per cent dependent on appearances. The 16-year-old Norwegian was called up to their match day squad for last night’s home game against Almeria.

Brazilian midfielder Lucas Silva also arrived at the Bernabeu from Sao Paulo for €14m, with teenage winger Marco Asensio (who remains on loan at Mallorca) joining the club for €3.9m. Agreed purchases would not be affected by any bans.

Players out on loan such as Madrid’s Carlos Casimiro (Porto), Denis Cheryshev (Villarreal) and Jose Rodriguez (Deportivo) could also be recalled. Atletico have Toby Alderweireld on loan at Southampton, plus the hugely talented pair of Leo Baptistao at Rayo Vallecano and Oliver Torres at Porto.

Cadena Ser claim that the Angel Maria Villar, the president of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) contacted Sep Blatter at Fifa to try to persuade him to stop the ban, without success. Blatter could, on his probable re-election as Fifa president next month, grant a worldwide amnesty but that would be unlikely given a legal precedent has been set with Barcelona’s punishment.

The prospect of a ban and likely appeals will add urgency to the summer transfer plans of both clubs. Madrid have been strongly linked with a move for Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea, which they’d would try and push through this summer. De Gea is out of contract at the end of next season and has consistently stalled over signing a new deal at Old Trafford.

If the ban starts in the summer then Madrid will be unable to sign him, but more likely the club will appeal and be able to buy players this summer as Barcelona did last term. That would pressure Madrid to get the deal done – putting United in a stronger position to get a better fee, though the Catalan newspaper Mundo Deportivo claims that Madrid think they will only be fined.

Fifa and Atletico have yet to make a statement; both clubs and the Spanish Federation claim that they’ve yet to receive any confirmation of a transfer ban.

In a club statement, Real hit back strongly against the claims, stating that “the said information is completely false” and that they had “always scrupulously adhered to Fifa regulations.”

Barcelona also denied their actions and suggested it was conspiracy by outsiders envious of their Masia academy system. The club paid for a large flag to convey this message. The flag hasn’t been seen since Barca lost their appeal, having been found guilty.

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