Chelsea found guilty of tapping up Cole

[carrickharp]

Chelsea, Ashley Cole and Jose Mourinho have been found guilty in the Premier League's tapping-up probe.

All three parties have 14 days to appeal against the charges, which relate to a meeting at a London restaurant on 27 January.

England defender Cole, Chelsea and Blues boss Mourinho are likely to receive unprecedented fines.

Cole flew in from the United States, where he was playing for England, to attend the hearing in London.

He was found in breach of Premier League rule K5, which prohibited him from approaching Chelsea with a view to negotiating a transfer, without permission from Arsenal.

Chelsea were found guilty of breaking rule K3, forbidding them approaching Cole, who has two years left on his contract, by any means while under contract.

Mourinho was in breach of rule Q, governing managers' conduct.

The Premier League acted following newspaper reports in January that Cole, Mourinho and Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon met at the Royal Park Hotel at Lancaster Gate, London, launching an investigation seven days after the initial allegations.

Charges against Cole, Mourinho and Chelsea were made in March, with an independent commission hearing the case on 17-18 May.

PREMIER LEAGUE CHARGES
Chelsea in breach of Rule K3 which prohibits a club making an approach to a player under contract without obtaining permission of his club
Ashley Cole in breach of Rule K5 which prevents a contracted player making an approach to a club with a view to negotiating a contract without prior written consent from his club
Mourinho was found to be in breach of Rule Q, governing managers' conduct

Story from BBC SPORT:

[Karlos]

Not surprised at the verdict - the punishment should be interesting - will the FA bottle it again.

With Arsenal currently serving a 3 year suspended sentence for the transfer of youth player Quincy Owusu Abeyie when using an unlicenced agent in a much lower profile case, i expect Chelsea to get at least a bigger sentence than that where all their future transfer dealings are scrutinised by the FA for a certain amount of time as Arsenal's currently are, as well as the usual fines etc...

[Dublin12]

Everybody knew there was some tapping up going on,I can't understand how Wegner didn't drop Ashley Cole as soon as it was leaked to the press that this was going on.

[Baker]

Dont really see what the FA can do.

A fine, no matter how big, would not trouble either of the three guilty parties in the least and everyone knows this.

Does anyone think they might try something that will actually hurt Chelsea like preventing them from dealing in the transfer market this summer or give them just the usual token slap on the wrist and a warning not to do it again?

[superfrank]

The dumbest suggestion I heard on Sky News was Chelsea would have the points deducted which would give Arsenal the title?!?!

Our name's already on the trophy!

Also, Wenger said he wouldn't want that.

Another was Chelsea should be thrown out of the Champion's League......at least that'd free up the place for Liverpool.

[anto1208]

this goes on the whole time , utd tapped up rooney during the euro's which is even worse because you cant discuss contracts during international comps , according to the fa ,

a fine is nothing to these people /clubs , they need to regulate the agents it s mainly there fault for setting up these meetings im not sure if cole is smart enough to know he was nt supossed to be there .

[Karlos]

I can't understand how Wegner didn't drop Ashley Cole as soon as it was leaked to the press that this was going on.

The meeting had already taken place before anyone one at arsenal had heard about it. Don't see how Wenger could have stopped that from happening.

As for dropping him, it happened conviently right before the home game against Utd, that's probably exactly what Chelsea would have wanted. However, had Gael Clichy not been injured he may have just done that .

Arsenal's first knowledge of the incident if you beleve the manager and the vice chairman was 'AFTER' the event

[Karlos]

100 grand fine for Cole
200 grand for Mourniho
300 grand for Chelsea plus 3 deducted point suspended


I think the Mourniho and Cole fine are probably in order but the Chelsea fine is ridulous. It's the equivalant of fining an amatuer club a fiver and telling them they'll have points deducted if they do it again which they obviously aren't going to do.

I'm a fan of Ashley as a player and always will be but he has let Arsenal Football Club down badly.

[Westside]

[I'm a fan of Ashley as a player and always will be but he has let Arsenal Football Club down badly.[/QUOTE]Gael Clichy is a much better prospect than that turncoat, if the gunners can get a ridiculous fee, ie. 10-15million they should send him packing, if he has considered leaving then they should make his mind up for him............