Chelsea's transfer ban lifted, for now
Last Updated: Friday, November 6, 2009 | 12:25 PM ET
The Associated Press
FIFA ruled in September that Kakuta broke his Lens contract to join Chelsea. (Getty Images)The Court of Arbitration for Sport has suspended Chelsea's transfer ban until it can reach a final decision on the club's appeal.
The court's decision Friday almost certainly frees Chelsea to buy and sell players when the international transfer market reopens in January.
FIFA had banned the Premier League club from signing players for the next two transfer windows for breaking rules in acquiring French teenager Gael Kakuta from Lens in 2007. Chelsea appealed to CAS against the FIFA ruling that cut the London club out of the market until January 2011.
Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti said he had no reaction to the news and that he was only concerned about the team's upcoming match against Manchester United in the Premier League.
"It is business as usual. Our focus is on the game on Sunday," Ancelotti said. "We can buy but now we have other questions and it is not important now what we can do in January."
CAS did not say when it expected to reach a final decision. It could take several weeks to arrange an appeal hearing and several more for the panel of arbitrators to reach a verdict.
Chelsea is eager to operate in the January market and will look to a similar case involving Swiss club FC Sion for a precedent.
FIFA issued Sion an identical ban in June, ruling that Egypt goalkeeper Essam El Hadary broke his contract with Al-Ahly when he moved to Switzerland last year. Sion's transfer ban was to run until the end of the 2009-10 season, but it appealed to CAS and asked the court to freeze the punishment until the verdict was delivered.
CAS granted that request in July and will finally hear Sion's appeal on Dec. 9.
El Hadary is appealing a four-month ban imposed by FIFA, which also was frozen. He has continued to play since joining Egyptian club Ismaily and recently represented his country in World Cup qualifying.
Kakuta also is facing a four-month ban and is challenging FIFA at the court.
FIFA ruled in September that Kakuta, a France youth international then aged 16, broke his Lens contract to join Chelsea.
