Chelsea handed transfer ban

[Spunky]

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.

18-year-old Kakuta, a regular in Chelsea's reserve side, has also been banned from playing for the next four months and fined £680,000.

Chelsea are also liable over Kakuta's fine, and they also will have to pay Lens £113,000 in compensation.

A Fifa spokesperson stated: "This decision confirms our aim to ensure contractual stability. It is an important ruling for football in general."

Statement
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."


Appeal
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).

The Blues are not the first club to have been punished in such a way.

Roma were also given a ban for two transfer windows following defender Philippe Mexes' move from Auxerre in 2004.

Roma appealed to the CAS and had the ban cut to one transfer window. If the same situation was repeated it would mean Chelsea being unable to sign players until next summer.

Seem's a little harsh to banned Chelsea from signing players for two transfer windows(18 month's), I'm surprised that FIFA has imposed this ban. Why all of a sudden have they become so strong minded about clubs "tapping up" players? It's been going on for 30 years, Much like diving, Yet only NOW clubs have been punished. Better yet it's an English club that got the ban. Why didn't FIFA punish Real Madrid over their pursuit over Ronaldo?

The biggest discussion surrounding this situation is why wasn't the biggest culprits of this "crime", The first club to be punished.

Discuss.

EDIT:

The ruling within which this charge was delivered under the "Regulations of the status and transfer of players" is plain and clear for all to see. The article which has seen this charge is as follows, "article 17 paragraphs 1 and 2: the principle that in the event of termination of contract without just cause, compensation shall be payable and that such compensation may be stipulated in the contract;".

If Chelsea have broke transfer rulings then they should be punished accordingly, but the point here is, Chelsea are a big spending English club with foreign ownership who manage to lure players from all around the world at a young age. These are all of the things that Platini has stated he wants to clamp down on, so to me this is nothing more than making an example of a club of their wish. I find it very hard to believe that Real Madrid have never bent these rulings, so where is their punishment. I hope Chelsea appeal this decision on the grounds of prejudice towards English clubs as this is all becoming farcical.