Real Madrid and Atletico banned from signing players for two transfer windows

The FIFA Disciplinary Committee imposed the sanction – which prohibits the clubs from registering additions to their squads for two transfer windows – for breaches “relating to the international transfer and registration of players under the age of 18”.

Real were hit with a £622,000 fine while Atletico must pay £249,000 but both clubs are still eligible to bring in players in the current window, which runs until the end of this month.

The news comes after investigations concerning minor players who were involved and participated in competitions with the clubs between 2007 and 2014 (for Atletico) and 2005 and 2014 (for Real).

The FIFA statement adds: "Both clubs are to serve a transfer ban that prevents them from registering any players at national and international level for the next two complete and consecutive registration periods for breaching articles 5, 9, 19 and 19bis as well as annexes 2 and 3 of the Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players (the 'Regulations').

"The transfer ban, which does not affect the current registration period at all, given that it opened before the decisions were notified, applies to each club as a whole -- with the exception of the women's, futsal and beach soccer teams -- and does not prevent the release of players."

This transfer window could just be about to get a whole lot more interesting if either club tries to shoehorn in deals ahead of their two-window bans.

Could Real make bids for rumoured targets Eden Hazard or David de Gea? Quite possibly. Zinedine Zidane’s side are clearly in a period of transition and patently can’t afford to go two windows without supplementing their squad. They may feel they have to add to the resources now rather than wait until the summer of 2017.

Atleti are a slightly different proposition. They are, for all their success, a selling club. They buy cheap and sell high but how would an inability to buy impact this policy? They may have to continue to sell to service their debts, for example. If that is the case, then their ability to keep pace with Barcelona and Real in La Liga will be dealt a near fatal blow.

The ban will be arduous for Madrid but could prove a disaster for Atleti, who could see all their hard work over the last few years completely undone.