Rangers in the dock! QPR face points deduction threat after FA charge
By CHARLES SALE and SAMI MOKBEL Last updated at 11:23 PM on 9th March 2011
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Queens Park Rangers' Barclays Premier League dream was plunged into uncertainty on Wednesday night when they were faced with a points deduction for breaking FA rules.
Championship leaders QPR were charged with seven breaches of third-party ownership and agents laws over their £3.4million signing of Alejandro Faurlin from Argentinian side Instituto de Cordoba in 2009.
Shouting match: QPR manager Neil Warnock suffered when his Sheffield United team went down
FA sources refused to rule out a points penalty that would leave boss Neil Warnock's promotion push in jeopardy.
Rangers have been charged with agreeing a deal with a third party, understood to be an Italian agent, for Faurlin's economic rights and failing to notify the FA of the arrangement.
It is also alleged that QPR used or sought to pay an unauthorised agent and, along with chairman Gianni Paladini, submitted false documents when Faurlin extended his deal last year.
Record breaker: QPR signed Faurlin in a £3.4m deal
Rangers last night revealed their intention to fight the charges. A club statement read: 'Having co-operated fully with the FA's investigation, QPR and Mr Paladini shall be denying all of the charges and requesting a formal FA hearing to determine them.
'QPR and Mr Paladini are confident that there has been no deliberate wrongdoing involved.'
The FA are dealing with the matter because at the time of midfielder Faurlin's move to Loftus Road, the Football League did not have the regulations in place to deal with the allegations.
Rangers sources were last night adamant a points deduction was not on the cards. However, the charges are being dealt with seriously by Wembley officials and Sportsmail understands such a penalty is an option the FA will consider.
The case has echoes of the controversial Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano affair in 2006-07, which eventually led to West Ham being hit with a hefty fine. The Hammers were fined £5.5million after being found guilty of acting improperly and withholding vital documentation over the duo's ownership.
At the time of the Argentina stars' move to Upton Park, they were part-owned by Media Sports Investment. Sheffield United argued that Tevez played a major role in keeping West Ham in the top flight and claimed the east London club should be hit with a points penalty.
The Blades, who ironically were managed by Warnock at the time, were relegated instead as the Hammers avoided the drop by three points.
Because West Ham entered a guilty plea - essentially acknowledging their wrongdoing - they avoided any points deduction.
And it is Rangers' decision to challenge the charge, a move that has not been received well by the FA, that could play a crucial role in the club being deducted points.
QPR currently have a seven-point cushion at the top of the Championship and look on course for a return to the Premier League.
One club insider told Sportsmail last night: 'This is really worrying for the players. Everyone at the club has worked so hard to get us within sight of promotion. This was the first that many of the players would have heard about the charge and it has come as a shock.
'We don't know the ins and outs of the process yet. We don't know what the time scale is so this isn't a particularly pleasant thing to be hanging over the team as they look to win promotion. Hopefully we are not deducted points. We'll be devastated if this costs us promotion.'
Another Loftus Road source said: 'I don't know what to think. The worst thing is not knowing what is going to happen.
'Everyone at the club has come so far this season and for it to be snatched away from us over something we have no control over would kill us. 'All we can do now is crack on and keep on picking up the points. We can't let this detract from what we are trying to achieve. We can't lose focus.'
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/foo...#ixzz1G9J9DdIQ
An example will be made of them IMO, to enforce the new financial rules.
By CHARLES SALE and SAMI MOKBEL Last updated at 11:23 PM on 9th March 2011
Comments (0)
Add to My Stories
Queens Park Rangers' Barclays Premier League dream was plunged into uncertainty on Wednesday night when they were faced with a points deduction for breaking FA rules.
Championship leaders QPR were charged with seven breaches of third-party ownership and agents laws over their £3.4million signing of Alejandro Faurlin from Argentinian side Instituto de Cordoba in 2009.
Shouting match: QPR manager Neil Warnock suffered when his Sheffield United team went down
FA sources refused to rule out a points penalty that would leave boss Neil Warnock's promotion push in jeopardy.
Rangers have been charged with agreeing a deal with a third party, understood to be an Italian agent, for Faurlin's economic rights and failing to notify the FA of the arrangement.
It is also alleged that QPR used or sought to pay an unauthorised agent and, along with chairman Gianni Paladini, submitted false documents when Faurlin extended his deal last year.
Record breaker: QPR signed Faurlin in a £3.4m deal
Rangers last night revealed their intention to fight the charges. A club statement read: 'Having co-operated fully with the FA's investigation, QPR and Mr Paladini shall be denying all of the charges and requesting a formal FA hearing to determine them.
'QPR and Mr Paladini are confident that there has been no deliberate wrongdoing involved.'
The FA are dealing with the matter because at the time of midfielder Faurlin's move to Loftus Road, the Football League did not have the regulations in place to deal with the allegations.
Rangers sources were last night adamant a points deduction was not on the cards. However, the charges are being dealt with seriously by Wembley officials and Sportsmail understands such a penalty is an option the FA will consider.
The case has echoes of the controversial Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano affair in 2006-07, which eventually led to West Ham being hit with a hefty fine. The Hammers were fined £5.5million after being found guilty of acting improperly and withholding vital documentation over the duo's ownership.
At the time of the Argentina stars' move to Upton Park, they were part-owned by Media Sports Investment. Sheffield United argued that Tevez played a major role in keeping West Ham in the top flight and claimed the east London club should be hit with a points penalty.
The Blades, who ironically were managed by Warnock at the time, were relegated instead as the Hammers avoided the drop by three points.
Because West Ham entered a guilty plea - essentially acknowledging their wrongdoing - they avoided any points deduction.
And it is Rangers' decision to challenge the charge, a move that has not been received well by the FA, that could play a crucial role in the club being deducted points.
QPR currently have a seven-point cushion at the top of the Championship and look on course for a return to the Premier League.
One club insider told Sportsmail last night: 'This is really worrying for the players. Everyone at the club has worked so hard to get us within sight of promotion. This was the first that many of the players would have heard about the charge and it has come as a shock.
'We don't know the ins and outs of the process yet. We don't know what the time scale is so this isn't a particularly pleasant thing to be hanging over the team as they look to win promotion. Hopefully we are not deducted points. We'll be devastated if this costs us promotion.'
Another Loftus Road source said: 'I don't know what to think. The worst thing is not knowing what is going to happen.
'Everyone at the club has come so far this season and for it to be snatched away from us over something we have no control over would kill us. 'All we can do now is crack on and keep on picking up the points. We can't let this detract from what we are trying to achieve. We can't lose focus.'
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/foo...#ixzz1G9J9DdIQ
An example will be made of them IMO, to enforce the new financial rules.
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