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Chelsea FC will be able to sign players again from January after a ruling by the International Court of Justice Cas. The fines imposed by FIFA World Federation Fifa were reduced on appeal, according to the highest court of law in Lausanne.
Fifa had decided in the spring that Chelsea FC should not hire new players until the summer of 2020, because last season's Europa League winners allegedly breached the rules on compulsory minors in 29 cases. A fine of the equivalent of around 526,000 euros had been imposed.
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In the appeal process, the Cas decided that the suspension would be reduced to a transfer period. This has already served the Premier League club in the summer. The fine was reduced by half. The milder verdict was justified by the International Court of Justice with the fact that Chelsea only violated transfer rules in about one third of the cases complained of by Fifa.
The club had denied the allegations. "Chelsea FC is categorically opposed to the findings of the Fifa Appointment Commission and the club has acted in accordance with relevant regulations," it said in a statement. Due to the suspension, Chelsea had not been able to react during the summer to the departure of superstar Eden Hazard, who had moved to Real Madrid.