FIFA is investigating Real Madrid to determine whether the club has
"followed the rules of Article 19 of the Regulations on the Transfer of
Players, on the Protection of Minors," according to Joaquín Maroto of AS. The rules prohibit the transfer of
players "under the age of 18, except in certain, determined, situations." AS "has had access to FIFA's documents initiating the
investigation, classified as strictly confidential." FIFA has requested from the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) "all the documentation relating to
under-age players" who play for clubs with which Real Madrid has
collaboration agreements. There are 22 such clubs "in the Madrid
Autonomous Region alone." The agreements Real signs with its feeder
clubs contain a clause stating that the feeder club in question "agrees
to make available to Real Madrid all its football players, at every age,
which Madrid can, as the club chooses, include in their own squads." In the letter to the RFEF initiating the investigation, dated Dec. 17, FIFA Head of Integrity & Compliance Kimberly Morris "asked for the information about the players to be provided" before Jan. 14. RFEF Secretary General Jorge Pérez "passed the request to the clubs 48 hours later." Real's lawyers have reportedly "examined the documents sent to Zurich." The investigation "coincides with a flurry of signings by Real Madrid," with Mink Peeters,
Marco Asensio, Martin Odegaard and Lucas Silva joining the club in the past
week. Barcelona was hit with a transfer ban by FIFA last April for "irregularities in the signing of underage players" from '09-13. The Barcelona case "came on the back of anonymous tip-offs." The current investigation into Real "also comes on the back of an anonymous tip-off" (AS, 1/26). To see the letter from FIFA, click here.
POSSIBLE SOURCE: In Madrid, Carlos Forjanes reported FIFA's investigation into Real Madrid's under-age signings "may have
started in relation to the case of two Venezuelan youngsters," Manuel
Godoy and Fernando Macías. Both came to Madrid "directly from the Latin American country, brought by Miguel Ángel Coira,
ex-Argentinean footballer who lives in Spain and has a football school
for youngsters in Madrid." Godoy signed for Real's Infantil B squad in '12 as a 12-year-old. At the end of '13 Real "began to suspect that his signing could
lead to problems with FIFA" and took the decision to "temporarily
suspend their relationship with him." Macías signed in the summer of '13 at the age of 14. He joined the Infantil A squad and the club "decided to terminate their relationship with him at the end of last season" (AS, 1/26). A FIFA spokesperson said, "FIFA is currently gathering all the relevant information and
documentation in order to be in a position to properly assess the
matter. No formal disciplinary proceedings have been opened at this
stage. No further information can be provided for the time-being" (ESPN, 1/26).
REAL 'RELAXED': AS reported Real Dir of Institutional Relations Emilio Butragueño "offered the club's version of events." He said, "First of all, we are in agreement with FIFA on this matter. We will continue to work with them in everything that they ask of us. We are absolutely relaxed about the procedure involving Real Madrid" (AS, 1/26). BLOOMBERG's Alex Duff reported a Real spokesperson said that the club has "acted within the rules and submitted all the documentation requested" by FIFA. Among members of Real Madrid's youth team are Takuhiro Nakai, an 11-year-old from Japan, and Paulo Lubamba, a 12-year-old Angolan, according to "squad profiles posted on the club website." Nakai arrived last year from Japan's Azul Siga and Lubamba joined in '13 from Chorrillo, a club on the outskirts of Madrid (BLOOMBERG, 1/26).
OTHERS UNDER INVESTIGATION: Maroto reported in a separate piece "it is not just Real Madrid" under investigation. FIFA is also investigating Atlético, as the club and its strategic alliance clubs "that have signed loan deal collaboration contracts have all received the letter" demanding documentation. As is the case with Real, the Atlético investigation is "confidential" and "came about as an anonymous tip-off." The deadline for the RFEF to submit all relevant information relating to Atlético and its 16 alliance clubs was Monday. FIFA is "also on the verge of opening investigations of other Spanish clubs" including La Liga sides Rayo Vallecano and Valencia (AS, 1/26).
IN BARCELONA: In Madrid, Moisés Llorens reported Barcelona VP Javier Faus was asked about FIFA's investigation into Real Madrid and said, "I don't know what [the reporter] is referring to with the inference of a 'black hand.' What we can say is that the complaint was anonymous, it continues to be anonymous and that these matters are not a coincidence" (AS, 1/26).
