Chelsea discover date for their FIFA transfer ban appeal

Chelsea’s appeal against their two-window transfer ban for signing underage players will be heard by a FIFA appeal committee on April 11. The Blues were hit with the ban, which runs until July 2020, last month and were also fined £460,000 for 29 breaches of FIFA’s rules on the international transfer of minors. FIFA was investigating more than 100 cases involving Chelsea, going back several years, but eventually charged the Blues with 92 breaches of article 19 – the rule prohibiting the registration of minors – and other charges related to the club having third-party influence over other club’s players. Chelsea successfully defended themselves in 63 of these cases at a FIFA disciplinary committee but were found guilty of 29 illegal transfers. Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid have all been sanctioned for similar offences in the past and Manchester City are understood to be the next leading club in line for a sanction related to underage transfers.

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