Chelsea tweet met with anger from fans amid transfer ban appeal
The club shared a link to the transfer targets despite Fifa banning them from signing new players.
Chelsea have faced anger from their fans after they shared a post on Twitter about summer transfer targets, despite Fifa banning them from making signings.
The Blues were banned from registering new players and given a fine of 600,000 Swiss francs (more than £460,000) last week over the recruitment of 29 players aged under 18.
The London club is appealing against the decision and on Wednesday tweeted a link to their website on transfer targets for summer 2019, with the caption: “Who would you want to sign in the summer?”
Five years ago Barcelona were handed a ban for two transfer windows, also over the signing of players under the age of 18, but an appeal by the club pushed the punishment back to 2015, allowing them to sign Luis Suarez from Liverpool in the summer of 2014.
However, Chelsea’s tweet was deleted within a matter of hours after it was met with anger from fans.
“Are you serious,” commented user @LavCFC, while another said the situation is “out of control”.
Other Chelsea fans appeared to be amused by the post, with @CFCDaily stating that the official page is now their “favourite parody account”.
The post was also responded to by rival clubs, with Zenit St Petersburg commending the post as banter.
The Russian club commented: “#TopBants”
Fifa on Friday announced Chelsea had been sanctioned for contravening article 19, which governs the international transfers of under-18s.
Its regulations prohibit the international transfer of players under 18, unless in specific circumstances not related to football. Players aged 16 to 18 can move within the European Union.
The Football Association was fined 510,000 Swiss francs (more than £390,000) for breaching the rules in connection with minors and also plans to contest the sanction.
