Madrid clubs lose transfer ban appeal

REAL MADRID and city rivals Atletico will not be able to sign players in the next two transfer windows after losing their appeals against oneyear bans imposed by FIFA for breaking rules protecting under-age players. The decision means Real’s top players such as Gareth Bale and Ronaldo are unlikely to leave the Bernabeu in the foreseeable future because they cannot be replaced until 2018. The Spanish giants were originally punished in January but the bans were lifted pending their appeals. Atletico have also been fined £696,000 and Real £278,000. The clubs deny any wrongdoing in the matter, which relates to signing players under 18, and both have said they will appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. La Liga rivals Barcelona were hit with a similar penalty in 2014 and failed to overturn the sanction at CAS.