FIFA are investigating Real Madrid to see whether the club has broken the regulations regarding the signing of young players.
The rules prohibit the transfer of players under the age of 18, except in specific circumstances, with AS claiming to have had access to FIFA documents initiating the investigation, which is classed as strictly confidential.
According to AS, world football’s governing body have requested all documentation from the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) relating to under-age players at clubs with which Real Madrid has signed collaboration agreements.
These agreements contain a clause stipulating that the feeder clubs make all their players at every age available to Madrid, while they also consent to provide the players’ registration documents and ensure they are registered in Real Madrid’s name.
In a letter dated December 17 sent to the RFEF, Kimberly Morris, Head of Integrity and Compliance at FIFA, asked for information about the players to be provided before January 14.
Jorge Pérez, the Federation’s secretary general, passed the request to the clubs 48 hours later. According to sources consulted by AS, Madrid’s lawyers have already examined the documents, while the investigation coincides with Los Blancos signing promising young players such as Mink Peeters, Marco Asensio and Martin Odegaard.
Barcelona received a transfer ban from FIFA last year due to irregularities in the signing of youngsters between 2009 and 2013, and are unable to bring sign players until January 2016, having failed in their appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
