Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid given two-window transfer ban as La Liga giants punished for 'irregularities'

FIFA have sanctioned the Madrid clubs over 'irregularities in the signing of minors' - the same offence for which Barcelona received their embargo.

Real Madrid and Atletico have been banned from transfers after irregularities in signing of Under-18s.

FIFA have sanctioned the Madrid clubs over 'irregularities in the signing of minors' - the same offence for which Barcelona received their embargo.

The pair will be unable to sign players in the summer or the next winter window. However, they can still register players for the remainder of this month.

Rules from the game's governing body state that international transfers are only permitted for players over the age of 18 - unless the individual players meets one of three qualifying criteria:

"Under-18s can move to a club in a different country if their parents move there for non-footballing reasons, if they are from another nation within the European Union or European Economic Area and aged between 16 and 18, or if they live within 100km of the club.'

FIFA never revealed which players Barcelona had been sanctioned for but have banned several of the club's top youth players, forcing some - including Japanese starlet Takefusa Kubo - to leave the club and move back home.

Atletico are four points ahead of their neighbours in the battle for La Liga, and go head-to-head at the Bernabeu next month.