Real and Atletico Madrid transfer bans provisionally suspended by Fifa pending appeal process
Spanish clubs Real and Atletico Madrid have both had their transfer bans provisionally suspended by Fifa.
The two clubs had been banned from buying any new players for two transfer windows earlier this month, after being found guilty of breaching Fifa regulation on the transfer of minors.
In a statement Real said: "Fifa's appeals commission has decided to provisionally suspend the sanction imposed on the club."
Read more: Fifa bans Madrid clubs from signing new players
Yet both clubs could well remain active in the final few days of the January transfer window, as the suspension has been lifted pending an appeal from the two clubs and could be reinstated before the next window opens in the summer – preventing them from signing new players before July 2017.
Real were also fined 360,000 Swiss Francs (£246,700), while Atletico were ordered to pay 900,000 (£816,800).
After being handed a transfer ban for similar offences in April 2014, La Liga rivals Barcelona took the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) – who dismissed their appeal – enabling them to sign Luis Suarez from Liverpool for £75m that summer.