London, Sep 3 (DPA) Football's controlling body FIFA Thursday banned Chelsea from signing players in the next two transfer windows after finding them guilty of inducing a French teenager to breach his contract with another club.
Gael Kakuta, who is now 18, joined Chelsea from Lens two years ago, prompting the French club to report them to Fifa.
FIFA's dispute resolution chamber (DRC) found in Lens's favour, ruling that Kakuta breached his contract having been induced to do so by Chelsea.
'The French club had lodged a claim with FIFA seeking compensation for breach of contract from the player and requesting also sporting sanctions to be imposed on the player and the English club for breach of contract and inducement to breach of contract respectively,' a FIFA statement said.
'The DRC found that the player had indeed breached a contract signed with the French club.
'Equally, the DRC deemed it to be established that the English club induced the player to such breach.
'As a result the player was condemned to pay compensation in the amount of 780,000 euros (1.1 million dollars), for which the club, Chelsea, is jointly and severally liable, and sporting sanctions were imposed on both the player and Chelsea.