FIFA rejects Chelsea’s bid to freeze transfer ban
Chelsea’s two-window transfer ban will not be delayed while their appeal is heard, FIFA has confirmed.
FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee sanctioned Chelsea in relation to 29 cases where the Premier League club were found to have breached regulations relating to the international transfer and registration of players under the age of 18.
Chelsea immediately said they “categorically refute” FIFA’s claims and signalled they would appeal against the decision.
Confirmation an appeal had been filed was made this week and FIFA signalled the ban preventing Chelsea from registering players for two windows will still stand while the appeal is heard.
“We can confirm that the chairman of the FIFA Appeal Committee has rejected the application for provisional measures filed by Chelsea in relation to the decision of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee,” a spokesperson told Omnisport in a statement on Friday.
Barcelona were given a similar transfer ban in 2014 but the LaLiga club made an appeal that pushed the punishment into the following year.
They signed Luis Suarez, Ivan Rakitic, Jeremy Mathieu, Claudio Bravo and Marc-Andre ter Stegen before the ban came into effect.
But unless FIFA comes to a verdict on Chelsea’s appeal before the start of the 2019-20 season, the club will be unable to register any new signings in the next window.
Chelsea could also take their case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
The Blues plan to explore that option after being left “astonished” by the latest stance from FIFA.
“The club acted in accordance with the relevant regulations and has already notified FIFA of its intention to appeal against the Disciplinary Committee’s decision and sanction. As a matter of procedural fairness and equality of treatment, and Swiss law, the Club’s right to an appeal process must be afforded, before any irremediable sanction takes effect.