Chelsea learn when appeal against transfer ban will be heard

Maurizio Sarri Chelsea

FIFA will hear Chelsea’s appeal against their two-window transfer ban for signing underage players  on April 11, world football’s governing body has confirmed.

No other details about the hearing were given in the short statement from a FIFA spokesperson.

The Premier League club were given the registration ban, which runs until July 2020, last month and were also fined £460,000 for 29 breaches of FIFA’s rules on the international transfer of minors.

Cross-border transfers of players aged under 18 are banned unless there are specific, non-football reasons for the player moving to the relevant country, although players aged over 16 can move within the European Economic Area.

At one point, FIFA was investigating more than 100 cases involving Chelsea, going back several years, but eventually charged the Blues with 92 breaches of article 19 – the rule prohibiting the registration of minors – and other charges related to the club having third-party influence over other club’s players.

Chelsea successfully defended themselves in 63 of these cases at a FIFA disciplinary committee but were found guilty of 29 illegal transfers.

The Stamford Bridge outfit were given 90 days to “regularise the situation of the minor players concerned” and the Football Association was also given a £390,000 fine for letting Chelsea register these players.

Strongly denying any wrongdoing, both Chelsea and the FA made their intentions to appeal clear at the outset, although only Chelsea are mentioned in Monday’s FIFA statement about April 11.

LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 09: Andreas Christensen of Chelsea during the Premier League match between Chelsea and Huddersfield Town at Stamford Bridge on May 9, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)

Meanwhile, Chelsea defender Andreas Christiansen has revealed what the Blues squad has been told what the ban would mean to them as players in the event FIFA dismiss their appeal.

Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid have all been sanctioned for similar offences in the past and Manchester City are understood to be the next leading club in line for a sanction related to underage transfers.

 

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