FIFA banned Chelsea from signing any players for the next year yesterday because it encouraged a French player to break his contract and sign for the club.

The governing body of world football said Chelsea can't register any new players, from England or abroad, during the next two transfer windows - in January 2010 and the next off-season. The next time the team would be able to sign a new player would be in January 2011.

Chelsea said in a brief statement on its website it would "mount the strongest appeal possible", adding that the sanctions "are without precedent to this level and totally disproportionate to the alleged offence and the financial penalty imposed.

"We cannot comment further until we receive the full written rationale for this extraordinarily arbitrary decision."

FIFA's Dispute Resolution Chamber made the ruling after Lens complained that Chelsea lured teenage striker Gael Kakuta to break his contract with the French club and move to London in 2007.

"The DRC found that the player had indeed breach(ed) a contract signed with the French club," FIFA said in a statement. "Equally, the DRC deemed it to be established that the English club induced the player to such breach.

"Chelsea is banned from registering any new players, either nationally or internationally, for the two next entire and consecutive registration periods following the notification of the present decision."

The dispute panel also banned Kakuta, an 18-year-old French youth international, from playing any matches worldwide for four months.

Compensation ordered

It ordered Kakuta and Chelsea to pay Lens €780,000 (US$1.12 million) in compensation. Chelsea must pay Lens a further €130,000 (US$186,000) as a training fee.

Lens president Gervais Martel told The Associated Press he hoped the verdict would teach English clubs a lesson.

"It's a logical decision, they stole the lad off us when he was 16. He was at our place since the age of 8 1/2," Martel said in a telephone interview. "Unfortunately, 95 times out of 100 it's the English clubs who come and help themselves."

Premier League champion Manchester United was criticised recently for their tactics in signing 16-year-old midfielder Paul Pogba from Le Havre. The French second-tier club accused Man United of offering money to Pogba's parents.

Martel said Kakuta deserved to be punished even though he was not an adult when he broke his contract.

"It's a good decision, but Lens was not compensated enough. The player is a gem, he is good enough to play for Chelsea," Martel said.