Thetownend.com

seems like they have been up to know good. About time fifa got tough on tapping up

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/chelsea/8236187.stm

Banning them from signing players for 12 months seems a bit over the top and they could easily get round it by signing players on loan instead. Plus I'd have thought a decent fine to be paid as compensation to the club they screwed over would make a lot more sense.

Its a crazy precedence as well, every club does it so are they going to punish everyone the same?

Agreed (nearly) every club  does it to some extent or other. Not sure why Chelsea have  been singled out, must be pretty strong evidence.

They will surely appeal though.

What about Real Madrid, and their tapping up of Ronaldo, along with every player they go for ?

If that ban sticks I will eat my shoes.

Exatly, this is Chelsea and Fifa we are talking about here, a few quid from Abramovich to Fifa and all charges will be dropped I suspect and slap on the wrist and fine to be paid to the other club

I think mainly because Lens actually lodged a formal complaint rather than just whining to the press which is all Utd did re Ronaldo for example.

Interesting to note that a similar sanction against a Swiss club from last season has yet to be applied because they are in the process of appealing.

The problem for FIFA is how to punish a club like Chelsea effectively if they are found guilty of something like this. Fines are no use, this is about the only way to hurt them.

Agree it is widespread. Utd didnt kick up too much over Ronaldo because they know full well it will only bring more scrutiny to their own conduct in the transfer market. (Berbatov anyone?)

I suspect part of the reason for the heavy punishment is that Chelsea have plenty of previous form. They were caught red handed tapping up Cashley Cole for example, and the farce that went on over Jon Obi-Mikel looked very dodgy from all sides.

They'll get it reduced to 1 transfer window on appeal if not overturned completely so it wont actually hurt them that much in the end.

The appeal will see Chelsea not be able to see players sign until the summer of 2010 and receive a hefty fine, Thats it, No way it will stick until 2011.

Chelsea as mentioned above will get around any problems I expect by taking players on loan with a view to a permanent deal when the ban finishes.

Stealing kids is naughty.

Chelsea have got off lightly.

I think the main reason Chelsea are being punished is that they actively encouraged this kid to breach his contract with Lens, and he proceded to do so. Ronaldo didn't breach his contract with United - they got an enormous transfer fee for him.

I think its absolutely brilliant.

Top Premier League clubs are basically stealing teenagers from the continent where they cant sign professional forms. It is making English football hated by the rest of football.

These clubs are used to being bought to book by no one.

Although I am sure this ruling will be reduced to one transfer window ban, rather than two on appeal.

Football is a sport, not a business.

Unless they get it overturned on appeal, they wont be able to sign loan players either until the ban ends.

FIFA actually encourage 'tapping up' via their rules on 'Bosman' players, as  players can sign pre-contracts with foreign clubs with 6 months left on their current deals.

The whole transfer system is a shambles, with the fact agents go around touting for deals with the players still under contract.

I'm surprised Man U are not the ones being done by FIFA as Ferguson tapped up Jaap Stam (as per his autobiography) and Berbatov has had to be tapped up via his agent, by virtually going 'on strike' unless he moved.

Er...Surely the bosman ruling isn't exactly FIFA's idea, that was the European Court of Human Rights no?

Tapping up is unfortuneately part of the game. Where Chelsea have overstepped the mark is doing such with kids of 15-16, allegedly offering payments to their parents to make them uproot completely and move country. That's not on, if it's true.

If they bring in regulations to stop the transfer of under 18s to different countries, Chelsea won't be the only ones to suffer. Arsenal's whole youth policy will effectively go out of the window for a start!

I'm not singling out Chelsea at all, it's pretty much the same as with Arsenal getting Fabregas and United getting Pique and Macheda as I read it, as they can't sign pro deals abroad until they're 18.

which is how it should be.

Just out of interest, how would you justify the rules for footballers being different for labourers and office workers who can sign a contract at 16 no problem?

The same way all the other EU countries do it!

All those regulations are made by Brussels nowadays.