PREMIER LEAGUE
FIFA could hand Chelsea transfer ban for signing foreign youth players
Chelsea would join Atlético Madrid, Barcelona and Real Madrid, who were all sanctioned for the illegal signing of foreign youth players and given transfer bans.
Chelsea have been accused of violating the rules on signing 25 underage players following an investigation by FIFA. The case has been transferred to FIFA's disciplinary committee and the number of cases could rise as the investigation has not yet concluded.
The investigation has lasted around four months since September of 2017 when they were warned that they were being investigated for the signing of foreign juvenile players.
The Premier League side could join other major European sides in receiving transfer bans for similar instances of violating the rules of youth signings. Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atlético Madrid were all given transfer bans for two windows before Real Madrid's appeal reduced that ban to one.
FIFA's suspicions surround Chelsea's dealing with youth players arose with the case of Bertrand Traoré, striker for Burkina Faso. FIFA found images of the player playing for the London club in a game against Arsenal when he was just 16 years old. According to FIFA regulations, clubs are not allowed to sign minors under 18 from other countries unless their parents have emigrated for reasons unrelated to football or that both the player and the club are located less than 50 kilometers from a national border.
If the sanction is handed down, Chelsea will not be able to sign players until the summer of 2019.
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