Chelsea cooperating with Fifa

ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE club Chelsea has said it is cooperating with a Fifa investigation into possible violations of the global soccer governing body’s rules regarding the signing of foreign players under the age of 18.

Chelsea and four other unidentified Premier League clubs are under investigation by Fifa for the alleged violations and could face transfer bans if found guilty, according to multiple reports in the British media.

French investigative website Mediapart reported on Wednesday that Fifa’s Integrity and Compliance unit would seek to impose a two-year transfer ban on the clubs as well as a fine of 500 000 Swiss francs.

Mediapart is one of several media outlets publishing documents obtained by Football Leaks.

The Football Leaks documents were obtained by German publication Der Spiegel and reviewed by Reuters in partnership with European Investigative Collaborations, a network of international media.

Chelsea said in a statement on Wednesday that “the club has fully cooperated with Fifa and has provided comprehensive evidence demonstrating its compliance with the applicable Fifa regulations”.

Fifa’s rules prohibit international transfers of players under the age of 18 unless their parents have emigrated for reasons unconnected to football or both player and club are based within 50km of a national border.

Spanish clubs Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid have fallen foul of the rules in the past, with all three serving transfer bans for violations.

Fifa opened its investigation into English clubs in September last year and said in a statement on Wednesday that it had not yet reached a decision..

“The proceedings are ongoing and, to date, no decision has been passed by the Fifa judicial bodies,” Fifa said. |