FIFA Sanction Atletico Madrid With Fine for Involving Third Party in Alessio Cerci Transfer

Atletico Madrid have been found guilty of breaching transfer rules regarding their previous signing of Alessio Cerci.

Los Colchoneros signed the Italian striker from Torino back in 2014 for a fee said to be worth around €14m. Cerci failed to ever make an impact during the brief time he actually spent with the team, making just 11 appearances during his three year spell. 

He spent the majority of the time out on loan and was subsequently released last summer.

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FIFA have now sanctioned Atletico for breaking 'Article 18b' with regards to the rules of player transfers. This means that the club introduced a third party into the deal, which is strictly against the rules.

Spanish media outlet Marca are claiming that, although FIFA aren't explicitly suggesting which transfer broke the rules, the deal for Cerci is the one that they are referring to. Marca understands that a Qatari fund were the third party involved in the transfer and that they paid 50% of the agreed fee - equating to roughly €7m.

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The fine for breaching Article 18b is €46,000, which on reflection is a very small price to pay for a deal that ended up being a disaster in the first place.

The fine also coincides with current concerns surrounding one of Atletico's more recent signings, Gelson Martins. 

The winger signed on a free deal from Sporting CP earlier this summer, but the Portuguese club are looking to take Atletico to the footballing authorities over the deal as they look to claim some sort of compensation.