Real Madrid Transfer Ban Reduced to 1 Window After Partially Successful Appeal

Real Madrid have confirmed the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has reduced their 2017 transfer ban to one window after a partially successful appeal, meaning the club will be permitted to sign players next summer. 

Los Blancos confirmed the announcement on Tuesday via their official website, releasing a statement that detailed the CAS decision to hand the European champions a less severe punishment in relation to signing underage players:

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The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has today informed Real Madrid C. F. of their decision by which they have partially upheld the appeal lodged by the club against the FIFA resolution which imposed a sanction forbidding the signing of players for two transfer windows, reducing said sanction to just one period, corresponding to the January 2017 transfer window.
 
The decision highlights the injustice of the original ban imposed by FIFA, although the club regrets that the CAS lacked the courage to revoke the ruling entirely.

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Real were initially suspended from registering any new players in 2017 after seeing their first appeal rejected by FIFA in September, per BBC Sport, but the CAS has handed the Liga leaders a transfer lifeline next year.

The suspension was similar to the one rivals Barcelona suffered in 2015, again for breaching FIFA rules on the signing of players under the age of 18, per BBC Sport, and Real will be elated to learn of the CAS decision.

As was the case with Barca, Real could still be permitted to recruit new players during the winter transfer window via a loophole, although those newcomers wouldn't be able to register for the club until the ban is over.

Barcelona signed Arda Turan and Aleix Vidal from Atletico Madrid and Sevilla, respectively, during the summer of 2015, although neither player was allowed to make their debut for the Blaugrana until January 2016.

Real manager Zinedine Zidane may not have planned much of a recruitment drive during the winter transfer window in any case, having steered Los Merengues to La Liga's peak, three points above Barca with a game in hand.

While Real may be glad to learn they're permitted to make new acquisitions next summer, ESPN's James Dall highlighted the fact the club made sure to point out they were far from entirely content with a reduction:

The Spanish titans already boast the best squad in the world as far as trophy credentials go, considering the decision comes just days after Real beat Kashima Antlers 4-2 to clinch their second FIFA Club World Cup title.

That victory followed May's triumph over rivals Atletico Madrid in the 2015-16 UEFA Champions League final, and they'll be more hopeful of maintaining their stride with the chance to sign new talent in 2017.

Spanish newspaper AS reported last month that it was the validity, fairness and legality of FIFA Article 19—the ruling regarding signing underage players—that a Zurich firm had challenged on behalf of an unnamed 17-year-old African player as part of their CAS appeal.

There's yet to be word on whether Atletico's appeal has had the same success as that of their local foes, although the reduction of their own punishment is all Real will care for.