FIFA and UEFA plan to ban transfers of Under 18s after Chelsea scandal

04 September 2009 12:00
Players under the age of 18 could soon be banned from switching clubs.[LNB]Following the revelations that Chelsea have been suspended from signing any new players until 2011 after landing Lens' Gael Kakuta, FIFA and UEFa are ready to push through new proposals.[LNB]The game's governing bodies want the rules in place from next month to stop sides losing their young stars.[LNB] Controversy: Chelsea's teenage star Gael Kakuta[LNB]Top managers from around the world, including Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger, have gathered at the Elite Club Coaches forum in Nyon to discuss a number of subjects.[LNB]UEFA president Michel Platini has also met the French Secretary of State for Sports Rama Yade, who advised Lens over their pursuit of damages over Kakuta.[LNB]Platini and FIFA are determined to change the current rules allowing players to be poached.[LNB]A UEFA statement earlier this week read: 'As a strong advocate of a ban on the international transfer of minors, Michel Platini was pleased to find in Rama Yade both an ally and a supporter on this topic, as well as on the locally trained players rule ('home-grown players') that is approved by the European Union.[LNB] Plans: Michel Platini (right) with Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon[LNB]'They "share the same position on many of the key issues surrounding European football, including the most pressing ones such as the specificity of sport, club finances, locally trained players and the banning of the international transfer of minors".'[LNB]FIFA are in the process of setting up a subcommittee of the Players' Status Committee that must ratify every international transfer of a player aged 18 or under.[LNB]The committee is not yet up and running but FIFA's director of international relations Jerome Champagne revealed plans earlier this summer.[LNB]He said: 'It has come to our attention that increasing numbers of clubs sign numerous players at the age of 15 and 16, because it is relatively inexpensive to bind these players to a contract.[LNB]'We want to be sure that talent remains with their home clubs for longer, and that these clubs are properly compensated for their youth work when the player does move on.'[LNB] CHELSEA BAN SCANDAL: I warned Blues they were 'stealing' Gael Kakuta but they told me to take cash and shut up, reveals former Lens chiefChelsea academy chief Arnesen at centre of the storm over Lens 'stolen' gemForeign exchange students: Overseas stars climbing the ladder at Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool and ChelseaCHELSEA FC

Source: Daily_Mail