4 Sep 2009

Chelsea banned from buying players until 2011

5:54 am on 4 September 2009

The big-spending English premier league football club Chelsea have been banned by FIFA from buying players until January 2011 after being found guilty of inducing a player to break his contract with another club.

The punishment was handed out by world soccer's governing body following a contractual dispute involving the transfer of their reserve team player, 18 year old Gael Kakuta from his French club Racing Lens more than two years ago. Kakuta's old club say Chelsea contacted him before he'd even turned 16.

Kakuta and Chelsea have been ordered to play Lens substantial compensation and Chelsea have also been fined.

But the English Premier League club have described the ruling as "extraordinarily arbitrary" and "totally disproportionate" and said they'll be appealing.