LONDON (AFP, AP) - Chelsea are free to sign new players in the January transfer window after a Fifa-imposed ban was reduced on appeal by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Friday (Dec 6).

The ban, imposed following violations in the recruitment of minors, was reduced from two transfer windows to one, which the Blues already served in the summer.

A fine was also reduced from 600,000 Swiss francs (S$825,500) to half that amount by the Lausanne-based court.

CAS published its verdict two weeks after an appeal hearing in Lausanne. The ruling was needed before the next European player trading window opens on Jan 1.

It said Chelsea violated rules in a "significantly smaller" number of cases than Fifa said, and that the violations were less serious than previously judged.