Fifa hit Chelsea with 15 month transfer ban

Fifa’s ‘Dispute Resolution Chamber’ has banned Chelsea from making any transfers for the next 15 months. The shock news comes on the back of a complaint from French club Lens that the Blues had induced Gael Kakuta to breach his contract – tapping up in layman’s terms.

Fifa has ordered the player to pay 780,000 Euros to his former club, who Kakuta left in 2007. Chelsea were fined 130,000 Euros but more significantly ‘banned from registering any new players, either nationally or internationally, for the two next entire and consecutive registration periods’. This means the club wouldn’t be able to sign anyone until January 2011.

Academy star striker Kakuta has also been banned from playing for four months – although the 18-year-old is currently recovering from a double leg fracture and so wouldn’t be expected to feature for Chelsea in the near future anyway.

While the specifics of this transfer will no doubt emerge in the coming months European clubs have often complained that English clubs were poaching their talent unfairly. Domestic clubs are able to offer youngsters lucrative professional contracts at a very young age whereas many teams on the continent are required to wait until players turn 18, Cesc Fabregas being the most famous example.

We’re sure this isn’t the last we’ll hear of this punishment which was entirely unexpected. The club will no doubt appeal and many Chelsea fans will be left scratching their heads and asking why their club has been singled out.