The Court of Arbitration for Sport halved Real Madrid's penalty.

Real will only be banned from buying players for one transfer window, instead of two as originally sanctioned.

The only transfer window in which Real Madrid will have to serve their ban is the upcoming winter transfer window (January 2017), according to a statement released by the club on the afternoon of December 20th. In addition to having their ban halved, Real Madrid also had their fine reduced from approximately $440,000 to $290,000.

Previously, due to evidence of violations of regulations regarding the transfer of players under 18 years old, the International Football Federation (FIFA) decided to ban Real Madrid from buying players for one year. The ban was in effect from 2017.

After their appeal to FIFA failed in September 2016, Real Madrid filed a case with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). This action brought them some degree of success.

Real Madrid could sign more stars starting this summer. Photo: Reuters

"The CAS decision highlights the injustice created by FIFA's original ban. The club also regrets that CAS lacked the courage to overturn the entire ban," Real's statement read.

With the transfer ban only valid during the January 2017 transfer window, Real Madrid can freely make signings from this summer onwards. This presents an opportunity for the newly crowned FIFA Club World Cup champions to sign Aubameyang early, the player currently leading the race for the 2016-2017 European Golden Boot.

Atletico, a club that received the same penalty at the time and with the same amount as Real, has not yet announced anything about the CAS ruling. Previously, another Spanish club, Barca, was also fined for a similar offense but did not receive a reduction in their sentence.

According to VNE