CHELSEA ARE FREE to sign new players in the January transfer window after a Fifa-imposed ban was reduced on appeal by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
The ban, imposed following violations in the recruitment of minors, was reduced from two transfer windows to one, which Chelsea already served in the summer.
A fine was also reduced from 600,000 Swiss francs (€547,203) to half that amount by the Lausanne-based court.
A Cas statement said that Chelsea were guilty of violating rules related to the international transfer and registration of minors, “but for a significantly smaller number of players”, concluding that they were only guilty of one third of the violations found by Fifa.
In addition, the breaches of other transfer rules “were found to be less serious than those attributed to Chelsea FC by Fifa”.
The initial ban was announced by football’s world governing body in February, but Chelsea had always denied wrongdoing.
At first they appealed to Fifa who partially lifted the ban in April, although only for players under 16 who are not “international transfers and first registrations of foreign minor players”.
That left Chelsea still unable to sign players over the age of 16 during the summer transfer window.
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An absolute joke , rules made are a waste of time . Money speaks the lingo .
@Tricksy: It was reduced because it was found that only they were only guilty of 1/3 of what they were charged with. Makes sense that your punishment is less for a lesser crime right?
The two boys think they have more knowledge and know more than the court of arbitration for sport! Ha ha
@Dave Harris: And you’ll be on here in the future giving out about a suspended sentence given to some junkie and criticising the judge for it
The whole thing is a complete joke. They broke the rules they should be serving the complete ban . But when you look at Man City getting away with just a fine for the same thing it just shows what a farce the governing bodies are.
Ah sure it’s Christmas you have to leave em off
The only difference with Chelsea and the majority of the PL is they were caught