SPORTS NOTES - CHELSEA BANNED -WHAT ABOUT REAL?

James Loving/National Radio Text Service

The punishment indicates that FIFA is attempting to impress on clubs and players that contracts must be respected but apparently that doesn't apply to Real Madrid who tampered with Ronaldo when he was signed to Man U - FIFA TOP 10

Wednesday September 9, 2009

WHAT'S THE DEAL?

The injustices continue in the world of football as FIFA has banned Chelsea from signing players until January 2011 which entails two transfer windows. It's FIFA's punishment for their signing a young unproven 16-year-old French player Gael Kakuta to leave French club Lens and sign with them.

To add further insult to injury the now 18-year-old Kakuta and Chelsea were instructed by FIFA to pay Lens $1.1 million in compensation compounded by Chelsea having to pay Lens $186,000 as a training fee. Chelsea plan to appeal feeling that the sanctions are without precedent and totally disproportionate to the alleged offense and the financial penalty imposed.

Lens president Gervais Martel has been quoted as saying that the English clubs come and help themselves when it comes to signing other clubs players. That raises the question is Spain exempt from fault?

The punishment indicates that FIFA is attempting to impress on clubs and players that contracts must be respected but apparently that doesn't apply to Real Madrid. Excuse me but is there something wrong with this picture that Chelsea should be punished and Real not?

When it comes to tampering Real Madrid does it best. It won't go away the injustices that Manchester United has suffered from Real Madrid's tampering of Ronaldo after he signed a long term agreement April 2007, for five-years at £120,000-a-week. After just one year the rumors arose that Ronaldo wanted to go to Real Madrid a team that he always wanted to play for since his childhood. Ronaldo wanted to break his Man U contract and FIFA president Sepp Blatter added fuel to the fire when he said Ronaldo was a slave at Man U. The drama and disruptions at Man U continued as it was later revealed that Real Madrid President Ramon Calderon departed the club amid vote fixing allegations. He later revealed that he had an agreement with Ronaldo a year prior that the Man U player would join Real for this season.

The tampering followed by the pressure and disruptions to the Man U squad forced the clubs hand and they eventually sold the FIFA 2008 World Player Award recipient to the Real Madrid Raiders.

Prior top the sale the violation in this matter is that Real tempered with a player who had a signed deal with Manu U. The agreement preceded the tampering which led to the disruptions, team disharmony leading to the sale of the disgruntled Ronaldo who had previously stated "I am happy with the club. I think this is the right club for me. We have the best team in England. We have everything to win the champions League as well."

Do the logic… how can what Chelsea which is accused of doing in signing a 16-year-old talented but unproven player compare with the Real Madrid's tampering and eventually signing Ronaldo the FIFA 2008 World Player Award recipient and believed by many to be the best player on the planet?

Presently Chelsea's squad appears to be the best in the English Premiere League supported by their signing long term contracts with several of their star players. They may ride out the storm until 2011 but many of their key players are aging. The bottom line is what's the deal with FIFA's apparent love affair with Real?

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