Transfer bans for Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid upheld

FIFA announced on Thursday that the initial ban, which both clubs appealed, had been confirmed and that Real and Atletico were fined 360,000 swiss francs (330,000 euros) and 900,000 swiss francs (820,000 euros) respectively.

Real called the ruling "profoundly unfair" and they, along with their city rivals - who they met in last season's Champions League final - have a final right to 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.

The ban relates to irregularities in the signing of foreign players under the age of 18. Under international football rules, players under 18 cannot be transferred to another country, except in special circumstances and all transfers need the approval of a FIFA committee.

In effect, it means the clubs will 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.

Fellow La Liga club Barcelona served a similar ban in 2015. Shortly after FIFA's statement, European champions Real confirmed they would appeal to CAS, who they urged to act urgently.

"The club regrets the decision on the grounds 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."

Atletico insisted they had played by the rules in the cases of 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,

Atletico splashed out on France striker Kevin Gameiro from Sevilla and Argentina midfielder Nicolas Gaitan from Benfica in this off-season but their city neighbours were unusually quiet, only re-signing striker Alvaro Morata from Juventus.

mp (AFP/AP)