Chelsea has appealed FIFA's prohibition on registering players during two transfer windows, following an investigation into its recruitment of foreign under-18 athletes. The ban, set to end in January 2020, stems from 29 violations identified among 92 cases examined, including the 2013 signing of Burkina Faso forward Bertrand Traore, now at Lyon.
FIFA confirmed receiving the appeal but has not yet scheduled a hearing. The club faces a £460,000 fine, while the English Football Association was penalized £390,000. The transfer restrictions exclude player releases and apply only to men's teams.
French outlet Mediapart, citing Football Leaks documents, reported in November that 19 Chelsea signings were scrutinized over three years. The publication alleged 14 involved players under 18, with Traore's case central to the investigation. This probe originated from reports first surfaced in September 2017.
Traore signed his first professional contract with Chelsea at 18 in 2013 but was not registered until January 2014. Mediapart claimed FIFA found evidence of misrepresentation regarding registration dates, noting he made 25 appearances across youth and first-team levels without proper FA registration.
Chelsea admitted paying Traore's mother £155,000 and £13,000 to his mother's club, AJE Bobo-Dioulasso, in 2011 for exclusive signing rights. The agreement, allegedly spanning 4.5 years, exceeded the three-year limit for under-18s. The club also reportedly covered £20,000 annual fees for Traore's education at Whitgift School in Surrey.
Similar bans have targeted Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid, which faced sanctions in 2016. Barcelona successfully appealed a 14-month ban in 2014. FIFA's regulations restrict under-18 transfers unless strict criteria are met, including parental relocation for non-football reasons, EU/EEA residency, or proximity to the club.
