Fifa’sdecision to ban Chelsea from registering new players in the next twotransfer windows has sent shockwaves through the football world. Theruling stems from a contractual dispute opposing RC Lens to Frenchplayer Gael Kakuta and his club Chelsea FC. Lens lodged a claim withFIFA seeking compensation for a breach of contract from the playerKakuta. The French club were also seeking sanctions to be imposed onChelsea for inducement to breach contract. The Dispute Resolution Chamber (DRC) found that Kakuta had indeedbreached a contract signed with his club, and that Chelsea FC hadinduced the player to proceed with such a breach. As a result Gael Kakuta has been prohibited from officialcompetition for 4 months and ordered to pay compensation to Lens in theamount of $780 000. Chelsea have been banned from registering any newplayers, either nationally or internationally, for the next twoconsecutive transfer windows. Furthermore, the London club have to paytraining compensation to RC Lens in the amount of $130 00. THE MURKY WATERS OF TRANSFER DEALINGS It seems likely that FIFA have decided to make an example of Chelseain this case and demonstrate just how seriously they are dealing withthe issue of contract breach. “Tapping up” has been a contentious issuein recent years, with both Arsene Wenger and Alex Ferguson attractingcriticism for their policy of cherry-picking the top young talent inEurope in recent years . FIFA expect the ruling to act as a seriousdeterrent to clubs embarking on shady transfer deals, and could becomethe landmark ruling for all cases in this field. This decision is by no means the first ruling to make a seriousimpact on the transfer market. In 1995 the European Court of Justicemade the decision to allow professional footballers in the EuropeanUnion to move freely to another club at the end of their contract withtheir present team. The Bosman ruling, as it became known, is nowcrucial to contract negotiations and transfer dealings in the footballworld. In 2005, Article 17 of FIFA’s Regulations for the Status andTransfer of Players was brought into effect. The ‘Webster’ clauseallowed any player who signed a contract before the age of 28 to buyhimself out of that contract three years after the deal was signed; aruling that was used by Jonas Gutierrez before his transfer toNewcastle United. FIFA will hope the Kakuta ruling will force clubs toadhere more closely to rules regarding unlawful contact with playersunder contract, and that the threat of expulsion from the transfermarket will provide sufficient warning. THE CONSEQUENCES FOR Chelsea The issue of whether Chelsea will be able to remain competitive inboth domestic and European competition will no doubt come underscrutiny in the coming days. Carlo Ancelotti may well have beenplanning to bolster his squad in the January transfer window. WithDidier Drogba, John Obi Mkel, Michael Essien and Salomon Kalou alllikely to feature in the African Cup of Nations after Christmas, theChelsea hierarchy will be anxious to commence the appeal process andhope the sentence can be overturned, or at least reduced. Will Chelsea be able to compete in all competitions without any additions to their squad until 2011?