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The English FA is set to take FIFA to court over Premier League side Chelsea's transfer ban, according to Sky Sports. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) is now set to hear this case on June 26.
Early in 2009, both Chelsea and the English Premier League FA were found guilty of breaching rules that pertained to signing players below 18. The Blues breached article 19 of the Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players in the transfers of 29 minors.
This led to FIFA, the world's governing body, to slap the EPL club with a two-year transfer ban as well as fine. Chelsea were fined 600,000 Swiss Francs (£460,000) in the process and were given a period of 90 days to "regularise the situation of the minor players concerned". However, this ban period and fine were both reduced upon appealing to the CAS.
The English Premier League FA, on the other hand, were also punished by FIFA with a fine of 510,000 Swiss Francs (£390,000) and were given six months to "to address the situation concerning the international transfer and first registration of minors in football."
In response, the EPL FA said that they would "continue to work with FIFA and Chelsea in a constructive manager to address the issues which were raised by this case." The FA have also said to have raised concerns over the disciplinary processes.
Reduced transfer ban for former Premier League champions Chelsea
It was announced in December last year that the Premier League club's transfer ban will be reduced after the CAS hearing. The court believed that the Blues violated rules "related to the international transfer of minors" and "to the first registration of minors" but it was "for a significantly smaller number of players" amounting to "about a third of the violations found by FIFA".
Another section of the report on the hearing read,
"In addition, the violations of other RSTP (Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players) rules were found to be less serious than those attributed to Chelsea by FIFA."
Despite their transfer ban, Chelsea have had a couple of high-profile signings in the form of American wunderkind Christian Pulisic and Real Madrid midfield lynchpin Mateo Kovačić. They would have hoped for an explosive return to the Premier League transfer window as they have a number of positions at the club could use some strengthening and changing of personnel.
Those plans, however, might have to be put on hold due to the financial impact that the coronavirus outbreak has already begun to have on the English Premier League.
The English Premier League's Project Restart in association with the English government has proposed to the club to play at neutral venues behind closed doors. Although some clubs have openly objected to these plans, the clubs will take a vote later on this month — and a minimum of 14 out of the 20 Premier League clubs are required to vote in favour of it.
Chelsea have somehow managed to hold on to the all-important fourth place on the Premier League table amidst competition from Manchester United, Sheffield United, Wolverhampton Wanderers and more. Only time will tell if Frank Lampard can guide Chelsea to Champions League football in his first season as manager of the club.
