Wow. I wonder what the Carlo’s fellow top four usual suspects, Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester United, make of this!
Fifa have banned Chelsea from registering any new players in the next two transfer windows.
The world’s governing body have handed down the punishment after French clubs Lens made an official complaint over Chelsea’s signing of their young player Gael Kakuta in 2007.
Fifa’s Dispute Resolution Chamber (DRC) has now found in Lens’ favour and ruled that the Blues are ‘jointly and severally liable’.
As such, the Stamford Bridge club have been banned from signing players over the next two transfer windows, which means they will not be able to bring in any new faces until 2011.
The full statement from Fifa reads: “On the occasion of its last meeting held on 27 August 2009, the Dispute Resolution Chamber (DRC) was called to pass a decision in a contractual dispute opposing the French club Lens to the French player Gael Kakuta and the English club Chelsea.
“The French club had lodged a claim with Fifa seeking compensation for breach of contract from the player and requesting also sporting sanctions to be imposed on the player and the English club for breach of contract and inducement to breach of contract respectively.
“The DRC found that the player had indeed breached a contract signed with the French club. Equally, the DRC deemed it to be established that the English club induced the player to such a breach.
“As a result the player was condemned to pay compensation in the amount of €780,000, for which the club, Chelsea, are jointly and severally liable, and sporting sanctions were imposed on both the player and Chelsea in accordance with art. 17 par. 3 and 4 of the Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players.
“A restriction of four months on his eligibility to play in official matches has been imposed on Kakuta. Chelsea are banned from registering any new players, either nationally or internationally, for the two next entire and consecutive registration periods following the notification of the present decision. Furthermore, the club, Chelsea, have to pay Lens training compensation in the amount of €130,000.”
Chelsea, who have yet to comment on the sanction from Fifa, do have the right to appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). (Sky Sports)
Now this is big news and I am sure Chelsea will appeal but will it do them any good. One thing is for sure it will make any club thinking about considering FIFA being a toothless organisation which can only impose petty fines, to think again.
No doubt such a decision will also make it very hard for the club to consider letting any players leave in that intervening period for fear that they can not replace them in any fashion.