Chelsea Comment: Sidelined Gael Kakuta Just Trying To Get Back To Playing Football

All eyes on you | Kakuta will never escape scrutiny

He had already seen his fellow youth team-mates at Cobham surpass him in the pecking order, and seen his international place get taken by one of the many other talented Frenchman eager to progress their careers.

Now, temporarily, he has the opportunity to make up for lost time.

When FIFA’s announcement was made, then club chief executive Peter Kenyon was the first to offer his thoughts.

“I think there is a general shock [at the decision],” Kenyon said.

“[Gael] is shocked like a lot of other people. Gael is a very good young man, he is a good professional. He wants to develop his career and he has just been selected for international duty.”

Indeed, Kakuta had been part of the France Under-19 squad that successfully toured Japan at the start of the season. Having made a good impression despite a 1-0 defeat against Brazil in the final game, he was looking forward to progressing through his country’s youth ranks towards the senior sides.

Now the former Lens prodigy, who has only made two reserve appearances for the Blues this season, must re-assert himself with club and country.

But what happens if FIFA’s ban is upheld when the appeal is finally heard, sometime in the new year?

Kakuta will then face the prospect of spending another 10 weeks ineligible for action, setting him back once again with his club and likely derailing any opportunity he might have had in the new year to go on loan and gain first-team football.

It will also see him lose his international place again, a potentially devastating blow considering his country are set to host the European Under-19 Championships next summer, a tournament he would love to be a part of.

Gerard Houllier, the former Liverpool manager who was instrumental in developing the Clairefontaine academy that has produced so many talented French players, believes youngsters should be free to move abroad if they wish.

"Maybe you will think it is shocking, but it is not necessarily a bad thing if an Under-20 player joins a big foreign club," Houiller said.

"Obviously it is difficult but it will allow him to improve close to the very highest level. It is just like when a young man decides to join the USA during his studies.

"Our young players have everything to blossom in France. But sometimes our clubs are too unenthusiastic, too hesitant to propose a good contract to a talented guy."

For the best | Houiller encourages youngsters to move

Yet Kakuta's decision to move to England could prove to have an incredibly negative effect on his development — and all because of legal decisions well beyond his control.

If Chelsea win their appeal, Kakuta will be the only person who has undertaken some sort of punishment for an infringement it turns out was never committed.

If the appeal fails, then his punishment will become even greater than it initially was, with his career halted for the second time in quick succession.

Either way, he will have to rely on formidable mental strength if he is to overcome the massive media interest in his progress, a taste of which he might well get if he runs out at the Stade Beaublanc on Wednesday night.

When CAS come around to hearing Chelsea’s appeal, they should take into consideration Kakuta’s situation.

Even if they uphold the ban against the club, perhaps they should consider removing the punishment to the youngster.

Clearly, he has already suffered enough.

Alex Dimond, Goal.com UK