ZURICH (AP) — FIFA banned Chelsea from signing any players for a year because it encouraged a French player to break his contract and sign for the club.
The governing body of world soccer said Thursday that Chelsea can't 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 could sign a new player would be January 2011.
FIFA's Dispute Resolution Chamber 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.
It ordered Kakuta and Chelsea to pay Lens $1.12 million in compensation. Chelsea must pay Lens an $186,000 training fee.
The panel also banned Kakuta, an 18-year-old from France, from playing any matches worldwide for four months.
"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."
Chelsea can appeal the decision directly to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
TV Station Profiles & Public Inspection Files forKRCG