C
helsea have been punished
by FIFA for their signing of
teenager Gael Kakuta from
Lens – and once again the
spotlight is turned on the controversial
subjectof teenagers being poached
by Premier League teams.
The London club have vowed to
appeal against a fine and a ban on
signing players until theJanuary 2011
transfer window for signing France
youth international Kakuta, in 2007;
after he had turned16 but before he
had agreed a professional contract
with Lens, the club he had trained
with as a youth for eight years.
The matter was referred to FIFA’s
Dispute Resolution Chamber after Lens
registered a formal complaint with the
world governing body. However, the
timing of the decision and the severity
of the punishment handed out has
shocked many.
Chelsea are no strangers to
controversy when it comes to the
recruitment of young players. In 2006,
they were accused of “tapping up”
Leeds United teenagers Tom Taiwo and
Michael Woods and were forced to pay
£5 million in compensation. Then, last
year, Reggina reported Chelsea to the
Italian FA and UEFA over an alleged
approach to15-year-old Vincenzo
Camilleri.
Central to Chelsea’s appeal to the
Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS)
will be the legal status of Kakuta’s
pre-contract with Lens.THE STORIES