Soccer

City acted 'within the rules'

Soccer: Manchester City insisted they have acted "within the rules" over the signing of 17-year-old defender Jeremy Helan after…

Tue Sept 08 2009 - 01:00

Soccer:Manchester City insisted they have acted "within the rules" over the signing of 17-year-old defender Jeremy Helan after Fifa confirmed they are investigating a complaint by French side Rennes.

Rennes made their complaint after City signed the French teenager earlier this year but the Manchester club say there was already a civil court dispute between Helan and Rennes before he moved to Eastlands.

City said in a statement: "Manchester City is aware of the ongoing contractual dispute in the French Labour Courts between Jeremy Helan and Stade Rennais. The dispute between the player and the club pre-dates any interest from Manchester City.

"Manchester City obviously cannot comment on the case until the French judicial process has run its course, however we are comfortable that we have acted within the rules throughout the process and in no way induced any breach of contract by Jeremy Helan."

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Fifa confirmed they are looking into a complaint by Rennes, saying: "We can confirm that there is a case pending with Fifa's Player Status Department involving Jeremy Helan, Stade Rennais FC and Manchester City."

The case follows Fifa's ban of Chelsea signing any new players for the next two transfer windows for inducing another French teenager, Gael Kakuta, to breach his contract with Lens.

Another French side, Le Havre, claim they are in the process of reporting Manchester United to Fifa over the signing of 16-year-old Paul Pogba. United deny any wrongdoing and have threatened action against Le Havre if they make any more damaging allegations.

Rennes' complaint was made before either of the other cases came to light.

Rennes technical director Pierre Dreossi told the Independent: "We have referred this to Fifa."

He added: "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."