Buzzin Football

FIFA President Sepp Blatter has warned Europe’s top clubs that the transfer ban placed on Chelsea for inducing Gael Katuka into breaking his ties with French club Lens, is just the tip of the iceberg and that Europe’s elite should be very afraid.

That spells out bad news for Chelsea’s Premier League rivals Manchester United who have recently threatened to sue the French club Le Havre over similar allegations of inducements to the parents of Paul Pogba, to bring the player to the UK.

Perhaps assuming that attack is the best form of defence United have become quite verbal over the allegations since the ban was placed on Chelsea. However the Premier League champions are likely to face similar charges from Italian club Fiorentina who are currently considering making a formal complaint over the signing of 16 year old Michele Fornasier.

They may still face charges over the signings of  Federico Macheda who joined from Lazio when he was 16, and another defender, Alberto Massacci, signed from Empoli this summer.

Manchester City are the latest Premier League club to be accused of wrong doing, in their 2008 signing of Jeremy Helan from another French club, Rennes who have confirmed that they have made a formal complaint to FIFA.

Sepp Blatter says the recent action taken against Chelsea is just the start:

“We have to protect the young players. There are many cases on our desk at FIFA. We have one we have settled but there are clubs looking at their books who have already announced that such and such player has no contract with them or is an amateur.

The case we decided was one with a player going from France to England. The clubs take 14 or 15-year-olds and say their parents are coming with them. But they don’t and the players are placed with other families. Then what happens to these players?

Only one in 15 or 20 goes through, so we have to protect them and their futures. Most of these cases we have are from Africa to Europe or South America to Europe. The president of the Brazilian Federation even told me recently I have to stop the exodus of young players.”