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Rennes have confirmed they have reported Manchester City to Fifa over the alleged poaching of French youngster Jeremy Helan.

City boss Mark Hughes snapped up the teenage defender earlier this year after he reportedly opted against seeing out his first professional contract with Rennes.

The Clairefontaine academy player had been wanted by Manchester United in 2008, but the Ligue 1 outfit dug in their heels over his departure.

With The Red Devils out of the picture City moved in, much to the anger of Rennes who insist that his pre-contract agreement tied both him and the club to a contract if he represented France at youth level.

Transfer ban

If found guilty of inducing a youngster to break a contract City could well find themselves in hot water with football's governing body after Chelsea were recently banned from signing new players until January 2011 over their pursuit of Gael Kakuta
Although Rennes' technical director Pierre Dreossi does not expect a decision to be made anytime soon, he fully expects big-spending City to face ramifications over their actions.

City are understood to be adamant in their belief that they have not induced a breach of contract in a case which is further complicated by the fact that Helan and Rennes are at odds, legally, over what he initially signed up to.

Consequences
"Manchester City must now realise the consequences of their attitude in the Helan case as it is even more illegal than Kakuta," Dreossi told The Independent.

"We have referred this to Fifa. For us it was strange to have no discussion from City and now, in the week after the Fifa declaration on Chelsea, I would hope that it will be the same thing for Manchester City.

"Kakuta signed up for just a possibility of a full contract. For Helan there was definitely one there, under the terms of the pre-contract agreement, because he had played for his country.

"Manchester United said it was not possible to negotiate with us but for City now this is dangerous, though we are not expecting a decision from Fifa for perhaps several years."

irblinx wrote:Hardly surprising this, every Prem team will end up accused and of course twatini will be loving it

Every case on its own merits of course but I can see the clubs going to the European courts over this and the whole football transfer system getting ripped to pieces along with Twatini's proposed foreign player quotas. Fifa are basically presiding over a rulebook which breaks most of the labour laws as it is, for them to continue their crusade against the Prem League by dragging this up may well bring the entire house of cards tumbling down around them.

IanBishopsHaircut wrote:I'm sorry but it's really hard not to be a conspiracy theorist looking at this...the top clubs in the UK being targeted...a hefty transfer window ban to a Champions league contender with the promise of more big english teams following suit when clubs in this country are the dominant force...meanwhile Real Madrid and the European elite seemingly being overlooked?

Platini must be rubbing his hands in glee

ross.mcfc wrote:

IanBishopsHaircut wrote:I'm sorry but it's really hard not to be a conspiracy theorist looking at this...the top clubs in the UK being targeted...a hefty transfer window ban to a Champions league contender with the promise of more big english teams following suit when clubs in this country are the dominant force...meanwhile Real Madrid and the European elite seemingly being overlooked?

Platini must be rubbing his hands in glee

Where abouts in the UK are Roma?

If we are found guilty then we should face the concequences. Its a highly immoral practise and if it takes a few clubs getting a transfer ban including us I will back Fifa all the way.

IanBishopsHaircut wrote:

ross.mcfc wrote:

IanBishopsHaircut wrote:I'm sorry but it's really hard not to be a conspiracy theorist looking at this...the top clubs in the UK being targeted...a hefty transfer window ban to a Champions league contender with the promise of more big english teams following suit when clubs in this country are the dominant force...meanwhile Real Madrid and the European elite seemingly being overlooked?

Platini must be rubbing his hands in glee

Where abouts in the UK are Roma?

If we are found guilty then we should face the concequences. Its a highly immoral practise and if it takes a few clubs getting a transfer ban including us I will back Fifa all the way.

Ahhh because Roma are a real dominant European force arn't they...get off your fucking soapbox...you'll be bringing back pigskin balls next...

This is the fucking 21 century and money rules the world...So you think dragging youngsters out of poverty is a bad thing? Maybe from the point of view of the club that has nurtured his talent...but that club will survive...it will churn out more youngsters...some will succeed...most will fail...so what if I bigger club comes in waving its cheque book...once in a lifetime opportunities come round exactly like it says on the tin...once...and who can blame the kids...or the parents for that matter...having their heads turned by mind boggling amounts of money...anyone would do the same...smaller clubs will ALWAYS be feeders to the bigger clubs...cold hard facts...the food chain...simple as that

Blue Toy wrote:Correct me if I'm wrong, but I would imagine FIFA make money out of every transfer that goes through? If this is the case would they really want to put a ban on all major spending clubs?