CAS stands by Atletico Madrid transfer ban
The Court of Arbitration (CAS) confirmed Thursday it has upheld its transfer ban on Atletico Madrid, meaning the Spanish giant will not be able to sign new players until January 2018.
Atletico and capital city rival Real Madrid were both banned from registering new players for a pair of transfer windows dating back to January 2016 impacting summer 2016 and winter 2017 transactions for misconduct stemming from the signing of foreign players younger than 18.
The club responded with a statement, saying, "This ruling is unjust, poses an unfair disadvantage in comparable cases and causes an irreparable damage to our club."
1. We consider that the decision to support the prohibition of registering players in a second period, corresponding to the summer of 2017, poses an unfair disadvantage and discriminatory treatment to our entity, since recently and in a similar case, the penalty was partially lifted, allowing to register players starting on July 1st. This ruling is unfair and causes an irreparable damage to our club.
2. The resolution has been communicated after the time limit established in the agreement signed by the parts, which finished yesterday, May 31st, 2017. This shows a lack of respect for our institution.
3. We want to reiterate that we have been penalised despite strictly complying with the Spanish legislation, as we have always processed all our licenses with Madrid’s Football Federation, as the Sports Law indicates.
4. Our sports planning for next season has contemplated at all times the two scenarios that could arise once CAS announced their decision. From this moment on, the club will move forward in the negotiations necessary to formalise the operations to register players from the 1st of January, when we will be authorized by FIFA to register new licenses.
5. We have full confidence in our current squad, with which we have won direct passage to the Champions League for the fifth year in a row and have reached the semi-finals of the Champions League and the King’s Cup. The club has the commitment of the players and coaching staff to continue competing at the same level next season, despite this decision that is evidently detrimental to us. Together, team, club and supporters, we will continue to fight for our goals.
Atletico's appeal was partially successful in that the CAS reduced the financial penalty, though it's still not permitted to register licences for any players this summer.
Under the ban, Atletico can recall players on loan like Luciano Vietto and Matias Kranevitter (both at Sevilla), Jota (Porto), and Javier Manquillo (Sunderland), and the club can also sign current players with expiring contracts to new deals, such as veteran striker Fernando Torres.