Atletico Madrid transfer ban temporarily lifted

Atletico Madrid have had their FIFA transfer ban suspended as their appeal waits to be heard by FIFA. The club were handed an 18 month transfer ban recently for the illegal transfers of underage players along with their city rival Real Madrid. There had been much speculation regarding both clubs appealing their bans and getting another transfer window to buy players before the ban came into affect.

Atletico made two appeals to FIFA, one of which was granted. The first one was to nullify any ban and allow Atletico continue as normal within their rights in the transfer window. The second, which is the one that was granted, was to lift the transfer sanction until the FIFA appeal committee can make a final verdict on the subject of youth transfers.

FIFA's Appeal Committee grants us the probationary suspension of the sanction pending the outcome of the appeal

— Atleti English (@atletienglish) January 29, 2016

This might not change much for Atletico as there are six months before the summer window and plenty of time for FIFA's appeal committee to gather information and make a verdict but it shows that FIFA are willing to listen, to some extent, to Atletico's concerns over the sanction.

The winter transfer window is particularly slower than the summer transfer window and getting three months in the summer to highlight squad needs and players who can be sold could be monumental in the club's rise to the top of Spanish football.