How will this effect Chelsea? Right now IMO they are the strongest EPL team (along with the Spurs)...but will they be able to keep it up should they lose players to injuryr/suspension/transfers?
http://msn.foxsports.com/soccer/story/1 ... ansfer-ban
ZURICH (AP) - FIFA banned Chelsea from signing any players for the next year Thursday because it encouraged a French player to break his contract and sign for the club.
The governing body of world football said 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 would be able to sign a new player would be in 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.
"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."
The dispute panel also banned Kakuta, an 18-year-old France youth international, from playing any matches worldwide for four months.
It ordered Kakuta and Chelsea to pay Lens €780,000 ($1.12 million) in compensation. Chelsea must pay Lens a further €130,000 ($186,000) as a training fee.
Chelsea can appeal the decision to FIFA's appeals panel, and would likely have a further right to challenge the decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
