RC Lens have reacted favourably to FIFA's decision to ban English giants Chelsea from dealing in the transfer market for the next two transfer windows.

The Premier League club have been found guilty of inducing young Frenchman Gael Kakuta to break his contract with Lens and move to Stamford Bridge in 2007. The player was aged just 15 at the time.

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The French club's president, Gervais Martel, was unequivocal this afternoon in his assertions that the world governing body had made the right judgement, with compensation also due to be paid to the Ligue 1 outfit.

"We expected this kind of decision. The player was under contract with us, and they came and stole him away from us," Martel told AFP.

"Chelsea didn't follow the rules. They contacted the player when he wasn't even 16 yet, and while he had been contracted to our training group from the age of eight.

"The financial sanction isn't over the top given the nature of the infringement, but it's really quite significant when it comes to not being able to recruit players.

"It's an important message given that protecting up and coming youth players who are contracted to clubs is an issue being followed closely by Michel Platini (UEFA president)."

Zack Wilson, Goal.com