FIFA ban Chelsea from signing players for next two transfer windows
The English club violated rules regarding the registration of young players
FIFA have banned Chelsea from signing players for the next two transfer windows due to rule breaches regarding the registration of players under the age of 18.
The English side have broken article 19 of FIFA's rules in the cases of 29 young players and have committed various other infractions.
FIFA said: "The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has sanctioned the English club Chelsea FC for breaches relating to the international transfer and registration of players under the age of 18.
"Chelsea was found to have breached art. 19 of the regulations in the case of twenty-nine (29) minor players and to have committed several other infringements relating to registration requirements for players.
"The club also breached art. 18bis of the regulations in connection with two agreements it concluded concerning minors and which allowed it to influence other clubs in transfer-related matters.
"The Disciplinary Committee sanctioned Chelsea with a ban on registering new players at both national and international level for the next two (2) complete and consecutive registration periods. This ban applies to the club as a whole -- with the exception of the women’s and futsal teams -- and does not prevent the release of players.
"Additionally, the club was fined CHF 600,000 and given a period of 90 days to regularise the situation of the minor players concerned."
On of the players on the list is Burkina Faso's Bernard Traore. Officially, Chelsea registered Traore's arrival in 2014 when he was 18 (born on Sept. 6 1995) but revelations in the press led FIFA to open an investigation, given he had played for the club before then.
Chelsea were busy in January. They signed Christian Pulisic from Borussia Dortmund (loaning him back to the German club until the summer) and Gonzalo Higuain on an 18-month loan, perhaps aware of the ban they were facing.
The English club may yet appeal the ban.
