Player ban on Chelsea lifted

The transfer ban imposed on Chelsea by FIFA has been lifted after the Premier League club reached agreement with French club Racing Lens over Gael Kakuta, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) said today. Chelsea were barred by the world governing body in September from signing new players until 2011 after being found guilty of inducing Kakuta, 18, to break his contract with Lens in 2007. The club appealed and were cleared to sign new players in January's transfer window pending a final decision by CAS which was handed down today. Chelsea have decided, however, that they will still give Lens €130,000 (Dh657,000) in compensation towards the costs of developing the player, which the west London club had been ordered to pay by FIFA in September.

"In an act of good faith and with a view to the possibility of future collaboration with Lens, and without recognising any liability, Chelsea has agreed to pay compensation costs for the training given to the player while at Lens, as mandated by FIFA in its original ruling," Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck said. "We are pleased to have come to an amicable resolution of the matter and that it has been ratified by CAS and recognised by FIFA," he added on the club's website. The Ligue 1 club Lens said in a statement they were pleased with the agreement "financially and technically". Kakuta will also be delighted with the outcome, having been originally ordered to pay €780,000 compensation which FIFA said Chelsea were "jointly liable" for, while also receiving a four-month ban from competitive matches. A France under-19 international, he had been at Lens since he was eight and went through their schooling system. * Reuters