Cole arrives for verdict
Ashley Cole arrived at Premier League headquarters today for the verdict which could see himself, Chelsea and Jose Mourinho punished after allegations the Premiership champions ‘tapped up’ the England and Arsenal defender.
An announcement from the independent commission appointed to hear the case was due by mid-afternoon, and Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein was another early arrival at Connaught Place, home to the Premier League offices.
The Premier League were preparing to present the conclusions to their investigation into newspaper claims made in January that Cole, his agent Jonathan Barnett, Mourinho, Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon and another agent, Pini Zahavi, met at the Royal Park Hotel at Lancaster Gate, London.
Cole, Chelsea and Mourinho were all handed individual charges.
Should it be proven the meeting did take place, it would represent a breach of the competition’s rules governing contact with a player under contract at another club.
Zahavi and Barnett do not fall under the jurisdiction of the Premier League and therefore there could not be any imposition on them today, however the Premier League can pass on the independent commission’s findings to the Football Association.
The charges were laid on March 23, with Cole, Chelsea and Mourinho having their cases heard over two days last month, on May 17 and 18.
Cole’s charge was under the Premier League’s rule K5, concerning approaches from players to clubs, while Chelsea were cited in accordance to rule K3, which deals with clubs speaking out of turn to players.
Mourinho, who led Chelsea to the Barclays Premiership title in his first season at Stamford Bridge, was charged under rule Q, governing managers’ conduct.
The independent commission was chaired by Sir Philip Otton QC, who sat on the case in the company of Malcolm George and David Dent.
If found guilty, the Premier League could dock points from Chelsea and levy severe fines on the club and Mourinho. They could equally suspend Cole and fine the full-back.
The record fine meted out to an English club currently stands at the £1.5m (€2.22m) which Tottenham were ordered to pay after being found guilty of illegal payments to players in 1994.
