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    Chelsea Appeal to Court of Arbitration for Sport over 2-Window Transfer Ban

    Matt JonesFeatured ColumnistJune 7, 2019

    LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 07: Official Chelsea club crest on giant flag being waved before the UEFA Europa League Round of 16 First Leg match between Chelsea and Dynamo Kyiv at Stamford Bridge on March 07, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images)
    Visionhaus/Getty Images

    Chelsea have appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) over their two-window transfer ban handed down by FIFA earlier this year.

    As things stand, the Blues will not be able to sign players until the 2020 summer transfer window after they were punished over breaking regulations regarding the signing of under-18 players from overseas.

    Having failed with an initial appeal to FIFA, it was confirmed on Friday that a new one had been lodged to CAS. "The Court of Arbitration for Sport has registered an appeal filed by Chelsea Football Club Ltd against FIFA," a statement read, per the Press Association (h/t Daily Telegraph).

    Per BBC Sport, CAS said "it is not possible" to determine when a decision will be made regarding the appeal. The transfer window for Premier League clubs closes on August 8.

    Goal's Nizaar Kinsella provided the statement in full:

    Nizaar Kinsella @NizaarKinsella

    CAS confirm this morning that Chelsea have appealed their transfer ban that was imposed by FIFA #CFC https://t.co/DL694kJQ6H

    Chelsea Appeal to Court of Arbitration for Sport over 2-Window Transfer Ban
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    Matt Law of the Daily Telegraph outlined some of the risks the Blues face by lodging the latest appeal:

    Matt Law @Matt_Law_DT

    I reported on Wednesday evening that Chelsea's appeal was in with CAS. But there is still no confirmation on whether or not an application to freeze the ban has been made. 1/2

    Matt Law @Matt_Law_DT

    The fear remains that Chelsea may still have to start serving the ban this summer because of a threat that it could be extended to three windows if the club are seen to simply try to delay it.

    According to Matt Barlow of the Daily Mail, Chelsea have not requested a freeze on the ban:

    Matt Barlow @Matt_Barlow_DM

    As it stands Chelsea have not lodged a request to CAS for the FIFA transfer ban to be suspended while the appeals process is completed.

    While Chelsea agreed a deal to sign Christian Pulisic from Borussia Dortmund before the ban was announced in February, if they aren't allowed to acquire new players in the summer, it will pose problems for manager Maurizio Sarri.

    Most notably, the team will not be able to replace star man Eden Hazard. The Belgium international appears to have played his final game for the club, with BBC Sport's Simon Stone reporting that Real Madrid are set to sign the forward for around £88 million.

    Sarri will not only be hopeful of finding a replacement for Hazard but also building on what ended up being a solid season for the Blues.

    In the Premier League, they finished in third place before they capped off the campaign with an impressive 4-1 win over Arsenal in the UEFA Europa League final. Hazard was on the scoresheet twice in that fixture.

    Should the ban be upheld, Chelsea may seek to integrate some players into the first-team setup who spent the previous season on loan elsewhere. Tammy Abraham, Reece James and Kurt Zouma all shone last season while at Aston Villa, Wigan Athletic and Everton, respectively.