Chelsea guilty of tapping up Cole

[Woozie]

   

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

Blues chief executive Peter Kenyon, Mourinho, Cole and agents Pini Zahavi and Jonathan Barnett were said to have met at a London restaurant in January.

England and Arsenal defender Cole, who flew in from the US for the hearing, Chelsea and Blues boss Mourinho are likely to receive unprecedented fines.

All three parties have 14 days to appeal against the verdict.

A statement from the Premier League confirmed the chairman of the independent commission, Sir Phillip Otton, was continuing to take "statements of mitigation".

Details of punishments following the guilty verdicts were expected later on Wednesday.

Cole 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.

Chelsea's 'super agent' Zahavi was alleged to have been at the Lancaster Gate meeting, as was Cole's representative Barnett.

However, they do not fall under the jurisdiction of the Premier League and therefore there could not be any imposition on them.

The Premier League can pass on the independent commission's findings to the Football Association.

It acted following newspaper reports in January that Cole, Mourinho and Kenyon met at the Royal Park Hotel at Lancaster Gate, London, launching an investigation seven days after the initial allegations.

The charges were laid on March 23, after the Premier League carried out initial investigations, with a view to seeing if there was a case for anyone to answer.

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

Football's authorities want to make clear tapping up will not be tolerated and fines could hit £250,000.

That far outweighs the previous record Premier League financial punishment incurred in March 2002 when Middlesbrough brought charges against Liverpool for illegally approaching defender Christian Ziege.

The Merseyside club were fined £20,000 while the player was hit with a £10,000 penalty.

Earlier this season Aston Villa were warned and ordered to pay costs for making an illegal approach to the then Southampton striker James Beattie.

[TheDeli]

Some good fines handed out, though the money is nothing to Chelsea

Cole - £100000

Mourhino - £200000

Chelsea - £300000, with a suspended 3pts,