Chelsea hit out at transfer ban.

Byline: ADRIAN CURTIS

CHELSEA have criticised Fifa's transfer ban as "totally disproportionate and extraordinary" and pledged to launch the strongest possible appeal against the ruling.

Fifa's Dispute Resolution Chamber found the English club guilty of inducing winger Gael Kakuta, 18, to breach his contract with French club Lens and banned the Londoners from registering any new players for the next two transfer windows.

But Chelsea are astonished by the ruling, both in terms of the ban and the financial punishment, and in a brief statement the English club said they would be launching "the strongest appeal possible".

A statement from the club read: "Chelsea will mount the strongest appeal possible following the decision of Fifa's Dispute Resolution Chamber over Gael Kakuta.

Chair Peter "The sanctions are without precedent to this level and totally disproportionate to the alleged offence and the financial penalty imposed.

"We cannot comment further until we receive the full written rationale for this extraordinarily arbitrary decision."

Lens requested compensation for Kakuta as well as calling for sanctions to be imposed on the FA Cup holders and Fifa's DRC agreed that Chelsea had indeed been guilty of inducing the youngster to break his contract and announced their verdict in a short statement.

"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," said Fifa.

"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, for which the club, Chelsea, is jointly and severally liable, and sporting sanctions were imposed on both the player and Chelsea in accordance with art. 17 par. 3 and 4 of the Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players.

Kenyon "A restriction of four months on his eligibility to play in official matches is imposed on the player Gael Kakuta while the club Chelsea is banned from registering any new players, either nationally or internationally, for the two next entire and consecutive registration periods following the notification of the present decision.

"Furthermore, Chelsea, has to pay RC Lens training compensation in the amount of EUR 130,000."

Meanwhile the club's chief executive Peter Kenyon has hailed the new contracts signed by Ashley Cole, John Terry and Didier Drogba.

Kenyon says the new deals were a key part of Chelsea's summer activity and hinted that Joe Cole would be next to sign a contract extension.

"We've concentrated very hard this summer in retaining the players we have. Inevitably in a transfer window it is all about who you bring in but we shouldn't overlook who we have got," said Kenyon. "If you look at Drogba, Terry or Cole, they are world-class players that could walk into any other team in Europe."

Bridge of sighs 

WHEN Chelsea were taken over by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich in 2003, coach Claudio Ranieri immediately found his job under threat.

Days after the takeover, Abramovich was spotted meeting with England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson, although the club denied the Swede would take over at Stamford Bridge. CHELSEA, Jose Mourinho and Ashley Cole were handed record fines in June 2005 after being found guilty in the Premier League's probe into allegations of an illegal approach. CHELSEA were accused by Leeds of breaking youth development rules by making approaches to three youth players.

Leeds later withdrew their allegations and accepted a settlement fee. LAST year saw Chelsea reach an agreement with Norwegian club Lyn Oslo in their dispute over the transfer of John Obi Mikel.

Mikel joined in 2006 after a wrangle involving Manchester United.

CAPTION(S):

Chair Peter Kenyon Chelsea's Gael Kakuta in action for the Londoners' reserves