Nathaniel Chalobah Loan To Bordeaux Nixed By FIFA Rule
Chelsea FC youngster Nathaniel Chalobah was all set to make a move to Ligue 1 side Bordeaux but it has fallen through because of a FIFA rule. FIFA does not allow players to appear in official matches for more than two clubs in a season and they consider reserve team and U21 matches as “official”.
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The ruling was revealed in reference to Hatem Ben Arfa’s move to Nice. The Frenchman had played in reserve matches for Newcastle United, senior team matches on loan at Hull City, and thus could not play for Nice according to FIFA rules. The official FIFA rules, courtesy of the Telegraph, state that “Players may be registered with a maximum of three clubs during one season. During this period, the player is only eligible to play official matches for two clubs.”
However it is not quite as cut and dry as FIFA makes it out to be. The Telegraph continues, “Contrary to the position of the English [Football Association], it appears that for Fifa the match in the U21 Professional Development League ‘must be considered as official in the sense of the regulation’ and ‘must therefore be taken into consideration in determining the application of article 5.3 of the regulation’ on the status and transfer of players.”
So basically a player can play for two clubs and a reserve side if the club falls under the English FA’s jurisdiction because their rules are a bit different. Another Chelsea FC youngster, John Swift, played for Rotherham United, the Chelsea U21s, and now Swindon Town this season so that precedent has been set. Presumably both Nathaniel Chalobah and Hatem Ben Arfa can both now go on loan to another English side rather than make loan moves to French clubs.
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Chalobah can either go back to Burnley where he only made one start, or stay with the Blues and hope that he is included in the first team at some point this year. The best solution would just be to send him on loan to another Premier League club that may be in the midst of an injury crisis or to send him back to the Championship where he was excellent last season for Middlesbrough. The Blues already have three players on loan at Boro in Tomas Kalas, Kenneth Omeruo, and Patrick Bamford so that may be overkill but it should not be hard to find the young Englishman a club.
Sometimes it feels like you need a law degree to understand the ins and outs of these FIFA rules but it is interesting to see that even the big wigs in the Chelsea FC staff were stumped by this latest discovery. They get paid the big bucks to find solutions and surely they will do that for one of their promising young players.