FIFA gives Chelsea one-year transfer ban

FIFA banned Chelsea from signing any players for the next year today because it encouraged a French player to break his contract and sign for the club, according to a report on www.foxsportsworld.com.



The governing body of world football said Chelsea cannot register any new players, from England or abroad, during the next two transfer windows; in January 2010 and the next offseason. The next time the team would be able to sign a new player would be in January 2011.



FIFA\'s Dispute Resolution Chamber (DRC) made the ruling after Lens complained that Chelsea lured teenage striker Gael Kakuta to break his contract with the French club and move to London in 2008.



\"The DRC found that the player had indeed breach(ed) a contract signed with the French club,\" FIFA said in a statement. \"Equally, the DRC deemed it to be established that the English club induced the player to such breach.



\"Chelsea is 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.\"



The dispute panel also banned Kakuta, an 18-year-old France youth international, from playing any matches worldwide for four months.



It ordered Kakuta and Chelsea to pay Lens €780,000 ($1.12 million) in compensation. Chelsea must pay Lens a further €130,000 ($186,000) as a training fee.



Chelsea can appeal the decision to FIFA\'s appeals panel, and would likely have a further right to challenge the decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.