Chelsea is set to hear from FIFA about whether the club will be banned from the transfer market after being investigated "over potential rule breaches with regard to more than 100 foreign players under the age of 18," according to David Hytner of the London DAILY MAIL. The governing body has overseen a long-running case against the club, which was "started by the compliance unit of its transfer matching system (TMS)." It flagged 25 player cases at the beginning of last year which it "thought warranted further scrutiny." FIFA’s disciplinary committee has since conducted phase two of the investigation -- a "deep dive" into how Chelsea has registered players at its academy over a number of years. The club responded to a request for information by opening its books to the committee which, in turn, "highlighted a high number of cases" to examine. The disciplinary committee is now considering its final decision, meaning Chelsea "should know soon" whether it will face any sanctions. If found guilty, a transfer ban "would be expected." The club would be able to appeal such a ban to FIFA and then to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The investigation -- the "first of its kind into a Premier League club" -- has been "hugely complex," with a "high degree of back and forth" between FIFA, Chelsea and the FA. One of the questions has been "where the line should be drawn" between a player being on trial or spending time as a resident at the academy. French investigative website Mediapart reported last November as part of the Football Leaks exposé that FIFA "would seek to impose a four-window ban" on Chelsea, together with a fine of 500,000 Swiss francs ($504,500) (GUARDIAN, 1/28).
