Saturday November 7, 2009
LAUSANNE: International sport’s top court yesterday suspended a transfer ban imposed on Chelsea while they rule on a dispute over the signing of French youngster Gael Kakuta.
“The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has granted the request for a stay filed by Chelsea Football Club Ltd and Mr Gael Kakuta in relation to the decision taken by the FIFA Dispute Resolution Chamber on 27 August 2009,” the Lausanne-based court said in a statement.
The English Premier League side had asked for a suspension in a bid to sign new players during the January transfer window.
The arbitrators normally take about four months to rule on cases from the moment they were lodged, in Chelsea and Kakuta’s case on Oct 22.
That would potentially leave the London side free to take part in the next transfer window between Jan1 and 31, 2010.
The Lausanne-based court also temporarily lifted a four month suspension imposed by FIFA on Kakuta pending a full ruling on the case by the arbitrators. Kakuta, who has shone in Chelsea’s reserves, was still a Lens player and only 15 years old in June 2007 when he signed a contract with the English club. — AFP
