Controversial Kakuta shines on Chelsea debut
Reuters - Saturday 21 November 2009, 18:45
LONDON - Chelsea gave French teenager Gael
Kakuta his Premier League debut on Saturday, two years after he
was controversially signed from Racing Lens.
The 18-year-old came on as a second half substitute in a 4-0
home win against struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Chelsea were barred by world soccer's governing body FIFA in
September from signing new players until 2011 after being found
guilty of inducing Kakuta to break his contract with the French
club in 2007 but that ruling is now on hold pending appeal.
Midfielder Kakuta, who had been at Lens since he was eight
years old, was also handed a four-month ban from competitive
matches and ordered to pay 780,000 euros
compensation jointly with Chelsea.
"Kakuta is a good talent, he is very young. I think that he
deserved to play today," Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti told
Sky Sports.
"He's training very well...when there's a possibility I like
to put (young players) on the pitch in the first team."
Kakuta got his chance when he replaced Nicolas Anelka after
a spate of injuries to regular first team players, including
Frank Lampard, Deco, Didier Drogba and Michael Ballack.