Real Madrid and their neighbours Atletico Madrid have had their bans on signing new players for the next two transfer windows suspended pending the outcome of appeals to FIFA, the clubs said in separate statements on Friday.

The pair, who are third and second respectively in La Liga, were hit with the bans by FIFA for breaching rules on signing non-Spanish under-18 players.

The suspensions do not cover the current transfer window, which runs until the end of this month.

“The FIFA appeals committee has conceded a provisional suspension while our appeal is presented,” Atletico wrote on their Twitter account.

Real added on their website (www.realmadrid.com): "Real Madrid has announced that the FIFA Appeal Committee has decided to provisionally suspend the sanction imposed on the club." 

Image: Real Madrid's Danilo Luiz da Silva (left) and Cristiano Ronaldo

Photograph: Alex Caparros/Getty Images