Manchester United cleared over Pogba transfer but Chelsea have no chance of overturning ban

By Martin Lipton in Laptop with Martin Lipton

Published 12:29 08/10/09

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Chelsea fans will be even more hacked off with life after Manchester United were given the all-clear to sign Le Havre youngster Paul Pogba.

While the Blues face a two transfer-window ban over their capture of Gael Kakuta it seems United, after all, and despite the complaints of Le Havre , did everything entirely by the book.

Any hope Chelsea had of overturning the punishment was surely ended by the admission from their French scout , Guy Hillion, that the club was aware of the pre-contract signed with Lens by Kakuta's mother.

Senior Stamford Bridge figures privately admit Hillion's comments were deeply unhelpful and the scout received a verbal lashing for speaking out of turn but it undermines any hope the Blues had of claiming no knowledge of the legal contract that was signed on Kakuta's behalf.

Chelsea's hope now is that the ban could be lessened to just one transfer window, using the precedent of the punishment meted out to AS Roma over their capture of French defender Philippe Mexes.

But that seems a vain hope and in the meantime, much to Chelsea's chagrin, United have been cleared over both the Pogba signing and the capture of Fiorentina midfielder Michele Fornasier .

All the nonsense spouted about a witch-hunt or vendetta against English clubs is now, at least, exposed for what it is - utter bile.

In the final analysis, perhaps, Chelsea might ponder over why they have found themselves facing a penalty that could cripple Carlo Ancelotti not just this season, but next term as well. And ask some very serious questions of Sporting Director Frank Arnesen .

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