By Mark Baber
January 18 – According to Real Madrid general manager Jose Angel Sanchez, Premier League clubs are under investigation by FIFA over transfers of minors and could face bans similar to those imposed on Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid last week.
Sanchez made his claims during a number of interviews following his club receiving a two-window transfer ban for violating the regulations which have been put in place to protect children from exploitation, particularly in cross-border transfers.
Speaking to ‘Cadena Sur’ Sanchez said, “I have relations with British clubs and I know for a fact that in many of these cases the disciplinary investigations have already started a while ago. I imagine that FIFA’s resources for these investigations are limited and FIFA cannot do everything at the same time but I have the impression that this is being done at European level and that more cases will follow, one after the other.”
Sanchez also told ‘Onda Cero’: “Because of my work I have a lot of relations with the English clubs and I know for a fact that FIFA has already opened investigations into some of them, I don’t know if it has already reached the disciplinary stage. I have the feeling that FIFA wants to do this worldwide. I have the feeling there will be a lot of cases in the next couple of years.”
FIFA issued a statement on the latest transfer window bans, saying, “The two clubs were found to have violated several provisions concerning the international transfer and first registration of minor players as well as other relevant provisions with regard to the registration and participation of certain players in competitions. The investigations concerned minor players who were involved and participated in competitions with the clubs over various periods between 2007 and 2014 (Atlético Madrid) and between 2005 and 2014 (Real Madrid).
“FIFA works hard to protect the rights of players under the age of 18 – whether male or female, amateur or professional. This is done through the enforcement of regulations prohibiting the international transfer of minors or the first registration of minors in a country other than their own.”
Both Real and Atlético will be appealing their bans so they won’t come into effect until after the summer transfer window. Any bans involving Premier League clubs are likely even further down the line.
As we have seen in the case of Barcelona, if a club uses the appeals system to its advantage it is possible to put preparations in place to ensure there is no real damage to on the pitch performance. However, the two Madrid clubs are unlikely now to sell their star players (including Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo) to Premier League clubs, and any ban on English clubs will also have significant effects on the transfer market.
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