2 FIFA Suspensions, But Not Blatter...

((HT: CNN))

The HQ knows what you're thinking... soccer and corruption...???
You're shocked... we know...

FIFA suspended two executive committee members in a vote-buying scandal in the current presidential election campaign. FIFA president Sepp Blatter was cleared in the same prelimary investigation where he was accused by one of those same committee members of ignoring the bribes in the first place.

The accused: Qatar's Mohamed bin Hammam and CONCACAF Head Jack Warner will now face a full FIFA inquiry. If found guilty, they could be expelled from FIFA and banned from all international soccer activity of any kind.

The ethics commission said there was evidence to investigate the allegations that bin Hammam and Warner offered $40,000 bribes to as many as 25 delegates of something called the "Caribbean Football Union" at a Caribbean soccer association meeting in Trinidad back in May.

The payments were allegedly made to secure votes for bin Hammam in his campaign to unseat Blatter as the head of FIFA.

Bin Hammam had asked the ethics panel to investigate Blatter instead claiming that he ((meaning Blatter)) knew of alleged bribes and didn't do anything about it. The panel said there was no evidence to take action against Blatter, who is now running unopposed for president for his fourth term since Bin Hammam has since withdrawn.

Here's UEFA Head Michel Platini addressing the Final and FIFA's recent shenanigans...

Chelsea Can't Pick Up A Player Until January 2011

((HT: BBC Sport))

Chelsea have been banned from signing any new players until January 2011 by football's governing body Fifa.

The Premier League club was found guilty of inducing French winger Gael Kakuta ((pictured, thanks Getty Images)), 18, to breach his contract with Lens when he joined in 2007.

"Chelsea is banned from registering any new players for the two next registration periods," a statement on Fifa's website read.

Chelsea can appeal against the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Fifa's dispute resolution chamber (DRC) ruled Kakuta must pay compensation of 780,000 euros (£682,000), for which Chelsea are "jointly and severally liable".

Lens lodged a complaint with world football's governing body after Chelsea had signed the winger two years ago.

Now the DRC has ruled Kakuta breached his contract with Lens and that Chelsea induced him to do so.


BBC Sport's James Pearce tries to explain the significance of the whole thing...

Those of us at OSG HQ want you to look at it this way... think of this as if the Yankees got busted for collusion and couldn't pick up a free agent for two seasons...

That's huge... and we know Roman Abramovich is steaming mad right now...
Yes, Chelsea is appealing...