It’s a big news day for Chelsea FC, with the club making a couple of major announcements within the past 24 hours. Yesterday, we learned the date and the official marketing title of the friendly that Chelsea will stage at the New England Revolution with the purposes of combating Anti-Semitism.
Today, we saw Chelsea formally announce their appeal of the transfer ban FIFA imposed on them late last month.
First to the charity match, it will be held at Gillette Stadium on May 15, with the friendly being branded the: “Final Whistle On Hate.”
All profits raised from the game will go to a number of charities and organizations that aim to combat the scourge of hate crimes. Beneficiaries include the World Jewish Congress, the Tree of Life synagogue (where 11 people lost their lives in a terrorist attack this past October), the Anti-Defamation League and the Holocaust Educational Trust.
Both New England owner Robert Kraft and Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich are Jewish, and each man will donate $1 million to the very noble cause of trying to root out Anti-Semitism.
Both clubs released the following informational and promotional video yesterday:
ICYMI: The Blues will play @NERevolution in a charity match at the Gillette Stadium on Wednesday May 15! ??
All proceeds will go towards raising funds for projects promoting equality and tolerance.
Details ?
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) March 5, 2019
Shifting gears to the transfer ban, which would prohibit Chelsea from buying any new players during the next two windows, the west London club released a statement declaring that they: “categorically refutes the findings of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee and will therefore be appealing the decision.”
As it stands, Chelsea cannot sign any new players until the summer of 2020, and that is due to their allegedly breaking FIFA laws surrounding the signing of overseas players under the age of 18. According to Sky Sports, FIFA said “there is no exact timetable” and when the club’s fate will be decided on this matter.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, a former writer for NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, regularly appears as a guest pundit on WGN CLTV and co-hosts the “Let’s Get Weird, Sports” podcast on SB Nation.
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