Chelsea manager Frank Lampard is free to sign new players next month after the Court of Arbitration for Sport overturned the club’s transfer ban.
The Blues were initially sanctioned by world governing body FIFA in February of this year. Chelsea’s appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport was heard last month, with the London outfit contesting FIFA’s two-window ban relating to the signing of overseas youth players.
And the CAS announced on Friday that the Blues have had their two-window ban to one, which was served in the summer, while also cutting the club’s fine in two.
The CAS statement read: “The following sanctions have now been imposed by the CAS: Chelsea is banned from registering any new players, either nationally or internationally for one entire registration period, which the club already served during the 2019 summer registration period. Chelsea is ordered to pay a fine to FIFA of the amount of 300,000 Swiss Francs. The warning and the reprimand are confirmed.”
It means Lampard, whose Chelsea side sit fourth in the Premier League this season, will be able to splash the cash when the transfer window reopens in January. FIFA had found the London club guilty of breaching article 19 of its regulations on the status and transfer of players (RSTP), which concerns the protection of minors. They were also found to have breached article 18, concerning third-party influence.
Chelsea appealed to FIFA and the case was heard in April, but documents published by FIFA at the end of October showed its appeals committee found the Blues had committed 150 breaches of regulations. The appeals committee agreed with the disciplinary committee that the breaches were “inexcusable”. CAS were keen to confirm their verdict in time for the club to know whether they can be involved in the January 2020 transfer window.
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