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FIFA have banned Chelsea from registering any new players until January 2011, meaning they will not be able to recruit any new signings for two transfer windows.

World football's governing body imposed the sanctions after investigating a complaint from Ligue 1 Lens over the transfer of Gael Kakuta in 2007.

FIFA's Dispute Resolution Chamber passed the decision on a contractual dispute between the French club and their English counterparts.

Milkdud wrote:Can anyone explain to me how these "transfer periods" work. Novice soccer fan and its going over my head.

j-far wrote:The loaning team pays the team that owns the player's contract and the player cannot appear for the loaning team against his original team if they were to face off in any competition.

j-far wrote:Peter Kenyon had it coming for a long long time. Obi Mikel was a bad episode for everyone involved and this seems equally worse. Good riddance and I hope they don't overrule this.

"Le Harve furious

Le Harve reacted on Friday with a long and virulent official statement against Manchester United regarding the recruitment of Paul Pogba, the captain of their under 16's. The Normandy club, relegated to Ligue 2, ensures that a non-solicitation agreement was signed in Autumn 2006 between the player and his parents, which would enable Pogba to sign a professional contract, "once the player had become of age and completed the educational criteria required by law." The professional contract was to begin in the 2009-2010 season.

But, "Manchester United had offered great sums of money to the parents with the goal of obtaining a transfer of their child to the English club, " announced Le Havre. "At the moment when numerous voices, including levels of government, the European Union, UEFA and FIFA are protesting against the drafting in of young players, Manchester United does not hesitate to uproot a 16 year old. HAC recalls that a few weeks ago these same leaders [Ferguson], claimed to give lessons of morality on the sums spent by certain clubs during the beginning of the transfer market, yet today have found time to plunder Le Havre and French football of one of its best young talents."

Demanding Sanctions

"Le Havre ensures that it will bring its case to the authorities for they denounce such behaviour and want [Manchester United to receive] heavy sanctions." Le Havre have also stated that the French league's legal commission asked on July 9th for the non-solicitation agreement to be transformed into the player's professional contract. The HAC have argued Manchester United have acted "above the law." Born in 1993 of Guinean origin, Paul Pogba is a midfielder who is also the captain of the French under 16 side."

j-far wrote:The difference between Pogba - Man United and this recent Chelsea incident is that United offered Pogba a professional deal before Le Havre did and the player/his caretakers were happy to accept it. on the other hand, Chelsea tapped the player up and induced him into breaking an "Existing" contractual agreement, which is frankly illegal.

The Normandy club, relegated to Ligue 2, ensures that a non-solicitation agreement was signed in Autumn 2006 between the player and his parents, which would enable Pogba to sign a professional contract, "once the player had become of age and completed the educational criteria required by law." The professional contract was to begin in the 2009-2010 season.

In explaining what is a complex issue, Phillipe Piat, co-president of the French players’ union and president of FIFPro, the international players’ union, explained the background to the contract breach.

He said: ‘At 14, Kakuta and his father signed a youth pre-contract promising to sign for Lens when he turned 16. When he finished his youth development Lens wished to apply the contract and bring the player back but his father no longer agreed to this. He wanted to go to Chelsea.’

A statement from FIFA read: "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.

"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."

"We spend 5million euros [about £4.3million] on our academy every year out of a turnover of 12million euros. It is a huge investment.

"We do that to give a chance to our players to develop for our first team, not to be an academy for others.

"What is the point of investing in an academy if the players leave at 16? This is clearly a message from Fifa to protect the education system."