Blues ban suspended

Chelsea allowed to buy in January

By Graeme Bailey   Last updated: 6th November 2009   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Blues ban suspended

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The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has granted Chelsea's request to suspend their transfer ban.

Fifa ruled against Chelsea in August when they deemed that the English club had induced teenager Gael Kakuta to break his contract with Lens.

As punishment for this, the world's governing body imposed a transfer ban on Chelsea and stated they could not register new players for two transfer windows.

This meant Chelsea would not be able to sign a new player until 2011. However the Blues have successfully lobbied CAS that their ban should be suspended until their full appeal against Fifa's decision is heard by the Swiss-based court.

This now means that Chelsea will be in a position to buy players in January, if they wish.

CAS also ruled that Gael Kakuta - who was banned from playing for four months - has also had his suspension 'stayed' making him available for selection.

The CAS statement read: "The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has granted the request for a stay filed by Chelsea Football Club Ltd and Mr Gaël Kakuta in relation to the decision taken by the Fifa Dispute Resolution Chamber on 27 August 2009.

"The Fifa Dispute Resolution Chamber imposed, inter alia, a restriction of four months' ineligibility on Mr Gael Kakuta, and Chelsea Football Club Ltd was banned from registering any new players, either nationally or internationally, for the next two complete, consecutive registration periods.

"Such sanctions are now stayed until the CAS renders its final decision in this matter."

As of yet, Chelsea are yet to receive a date from CAS for their appeal - although this is not now expected until after January.

Comments (31)

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Gary Sinclair (Tottenham Hotspur fan) says...

If a player gets a straight red card and gets sent off, he then misses so many games. If the team he plays for has a very important next match and need him to play, they can appeal against the sending off and he can play until his appeal hearing. Same rules apply. Even though he was allready found guilty by receiving the red card.

Posted 16:11 6th November 2009

Stephen Cooper (Liverpool fan) says...

In my opinion the worst thing about this episode is the fact that the appeal won't be heard until after January - unbelievable!! What the hell else are they discussing in the meantime?

Posted 16:10 6th November 2009

Martin Sharps (Arsenal fan) says...

There's different ways of looking at this... Chelsea HAVE been found guilty of wrong doing and have been given the ban, so should stay banned regardless of whether there is an appeal- If someones convicted of murder you don't let them out again until after an appeal do you!! But having said that why is it taking so long to hear the appeal? Chelsea should get punished as they had a warning when they tapped cole up and have ignored the warning. The french FA need to change there rules around there youngsters as there is a massive loophole as there not deemed old enough to sign a contract until they are 18 but have these pre-contracts that sound like they're not worth the paper that they're written on as that is a contract that their not deemed old enough to sign! FIFA should also act and wite it into the laws of the game that the club that develops the player from 14-18 should recieve 20% of every transfer fee that that player has for the rest of his career- hence putting more money back into lower leagues, rewarding clubs for developing players and improving youth systems at all levels. Also how have Real Madrid and Barcelona escaped punishment and warnings over their transfer dealings, public declaring players that they want to sign?

Posted 16:05 6th November 2009

Max Cooper (Arsenal fan) says...

In my opinion, the decision to suspend Chelsea's transfer ban is pathetic, what was the point of giving them one in the first place if they are going to suspend it a couple of months down the line, have Chelsea learn't their lesson? No! What is to stop Chelsea or any other team going beyond the rules to buy a player knowing that there is no real punishment awaiting them. Fifa could have a big problem on their hands now they have decided to uplift this ban.

Posted 16:03 6th November 2009

Russell Cowell (Chelsea fan) says...

To all of the fans supporting other teams, please stop complaining about the CAS decision. It was inevitable that we would get a suspension on the FIFA ruling. Just like Eduardo got away with his dive in the champions league, or it being acceptable for Manchester United to be allowed to play 7 extra minutes, or even Liverpool being allowed to enter the CL just because they won it the previous year, however did not gain a top four spot during said PL season. Aguero to Chelsea come January me thinks, and on course for a PL and CL double.

Posted 16:01 6th November 2009

Mike Pace (Chelsea fan) says...

The true and facts was shown that Chelsea are right and as done all matters in the right directions without any undercover facts and now the rest of the world that youare the best team ever to produce the facts - keep it up chelsea mike chelsea fan malta

Posted 16:00 6th November 2009

David Adeyemi (Chelsea fan) says...

Anyone that is not happy with CAS decision can go and report to Chief of police by the next police station, or better still you can go and complain to the mother Queen to express your dissatisfaction towards the decisions. Jealousy jealousy. Up Chelsea! Up Blues!

Posted 15:50 6th November 2009

Michael Faris (Chelsea fan) says...

As usual most people here are just disagreeing with the decision because of their own footballing interests i.e. they like to see bad things happen to any other team but theirs. There is no concern for the worlds young footballing talent from any of you otherwise you might find it a bit strange that French clubs blatantly pinch talent in just the same way from all over Africa (something English clubs can not legally do) and then force these kids to sign a 'pre contract' which no other country in the world recognises as legal becasue they are just that - kids! Don't say it's one rule for CFC /MUFC and another for everyone else. This IS the a fair decision because every other case of this nature that has gone to CAS has been suspended until a decision is made (most notably Roma and Phillipe Mexes) Abramovic may well spend in Jaunary but you can not treat Chelsea differently becasue they are capable of doing so. I find it laughable that we have an Arsenal fan here being so critical. This is a team that at one time even had an arrangement with a 'feeder' club in Belgium just to get around the laws in England against signing African minors. That said I agree with Wenger when he said "If your child was a gifted musician, wouldn't you want them to go to the best music school?"

Posted 15:47 6th November 2009

Thomas Ward (liverpool fan) (Liverpool fan) says...

I am infuriated, chelsea have been blatently braking the rules when it comes to this sort of thing. I was delighted to hear when the ban came in and now its been revealed as a shambles. They'll spend big in january now and the ban wont matter to them, its a farce. I'd like uefa to put a stipulation in that any player signed whilst the appeal is in process must return if it fails. plus if the appeal fails i like the ban to be doubled. Like come on there just bending the rules again like they always do.

Posted 15:42 6th November 2009

George Robinson (Leeds United fan) says...

Same old Chelsea, They tapped up 2 of our youngsters a couple of years ago, ended up paying us peanuts to keep our mouths shut and we have never seen either of these in a Chelsea shirt since. I am betting the same will happen with this guy. I think that clubs should just boycott Chelsea and not sell to them whatever the price is. We sold Delph to Villa because they went about it the right way. He was one of our brightest stars but wanted his chance at the top level and full respect to Villa. I believe Chelsea will buy 3 players for £10m plus in the January window so this ban when/if they eventually get it won't make a blind bit of difference. Football needs to be run with common sense, it just cannot go on like this. I think if they fail in their appeal that the punishment should be more severe like banning them from Europe for 2 years like they did with the "cheating" Italian clubs. In my opinion this case is just as severe and should be dealt with in a very serious way. We got a 15 point deduction for not submitting a few bits of paper to the FA 2 seasons ago how can this go unpunished ??? come on MR's Blatter & Platini sort it out. Leeds United for the Premier League Title in 3 Years time, "Marching On Together"

Posted 15:40 6th November 2009

Dermot Hickey (Manchester United fan) says...

Its a disgrace once again Chelsea have gotten away with flaunting the rules of soccer, we all know soccer is corrupt but will they ever stick to their guns and when they impose a ban or punishment stick to it. Micheal Paltini is not fit to be fifa president just like changing the rules in the middle of the world cup just because his beloved France might not make coupled with the possibility of poor old Ronaldo might have the summer off too. Chelsea broke the rules once again and got caught suspending the ban until they make a decision next year WTF, why does it take so long to decide yes they broke the rules and yes they should be punished, Ban them from the transfare market and deduct points if I had my way id relegate them but thats just me.

Posted 15:38 6th November 2009

Kevan Stafford (Plymouth Argyle fan) says...

It is amazing how peoples judgement is clouded according to the team they support,& how nasty they get. The fact is, Chelsea were found guilty without trial & punished.If after the full inquiry they are ar fault, then the ban is applied,seems fair to me.I find it hard to believe that Chelsea are the only club that do this type of thing,are'nt all these rumours in newspapers about who is moving to what club just a different form of tapping up.

Posted 15:33 6th November 2009

Declan Minoli (Chelsea fan) says...

At last, common sense has prevailed. However i don't think we need to buy anyone in January, we're brilliant as we are. We've won the league with players away for the ANC before. Cech, Ivanovic, Terry, Alex, Ashley, Lampard, Ballack, Joe, Belletti, Deco and Anelka. Oh dear, what an awful team we'll have!

Posted 15:18 6th November 2009

Rob Palmer (Rochdale fan) says...

It's a mockery of the system, the ban should stand, if it was any other club, Man Utd, Liverpool or Arsenal it would stand. How much money did they get paid to over turn the injunction.

Posted 15:13 6th November 2009

Granville Weir (Chelsea fan) says...

Of course it is fair that the ban should be lifted untl after the Appeal. If this applies in every Criminal Court, it should apply in this case. I am not saying this because I ama Chelsea supporter, but because I believe in justice and fair play.

Posted 15:04 6th November 2009

Jonny Grattan (Chelsea fan) says...

Obviously all the other clubs will complain about Chelseas ban being suspended, it means they can go out and buy as many players as they want in January. If their club had been caught breaking the rules they would appeal against it as well and hope for it to be overturned. So why do other clubs and supporters pointing the finger at Chelsea for getting away with getting the ban changed when, in the end, they would do the exact same thing if their club was in that situation?

Posted 15:01 6th November 2009

Andy Kirk (Leeds United fan) says...

its only fair to suspend it because if their appeal is successful but the ban stood they would have been punished wrongly. if their appeal is unsuccessful it doesnt matter how much they buy in january, missing 3 transfer windows will still hurt them.

Posted 14:53 6th November 2009

Ross Cooper (Liverpool fan) says...

Innocent untill proven guilty.It pains me to say it but they should have the ban suspended purely by the fact they have appealed.Sport is no different to anything else.Saying that,i still hope the appeal fails and they get a ban!!y.n.w.a

Posted 14:52 6th November 2009

Damian Hopley (Manchester United fan) says...

fair enough, many of the big clubs have most likely tapped players up and have got away with it and if utd had been banned i would possibly be saying the same things as all the chelsea fans... but seeing as so many clubs 'tap' players up why should just chelsea be banned? all they should be required to do is pay compensation to the french club, and the player involved should face a ban, and then that should be that settled.

Posted 14:45 6th November 2009

Vinny Blackman (Chelsea fan) says...

Great News, Chelsea needed this, Man UTD get away with everything, bout time some luck landed on Stanford bridge, looking at our form as of late its not like we need to sign anyone, when the window opens you will see that we wont be bringing any big names to the bridge as we already have the lot!

Posted 14:04 6th November 2009
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