NFR: QP ha-ha-OOps

[Logicalman]

News that our nearby neighbours seem to have fallen foul of the FA over Agent and Third-part ownership rules, might just scuttle that clubs plans to join the rest of us next season in the Prem, and, funnily enough, it involves one of Finns favorite countries, Argentina (surprise no surprise).
It will be interesting to see how the penalties differ from those handed out to that other cheating club from the East side, as the facts appear to be almost identical.

Now, lets all have a little respect and a minutes silence for our erstwhile west London friends ..  Lighthouse, stop sniggering at the back, boy!!!



Queens Park Rangers charged with agent rule breaches
QPR have been charged with breaches of seven Football Association rules over third-party ownership and agents.

They relate to the signing of Argentine midfielder Alejandro Faurlin in 2009 and a contract extension last October.

Punishment for the club could range from a fine to being docked points, a damaging scenario given that QPR currently sit top of the Championship.

The club has denied the charges and has written to the FA to ask for a formal hearing to determine their nature.

The charges concern the alleged existence of an agreement between QPR and a third party in respect of the Faurlin's economic rights, plus the alleged failure by the club to notify the FA of that agreement before the player was signed for £3.5m from Argentine club Instituto in July 2009.

The west London club is also charged with allegedly using or seeking to pay an unauthorised agent in relation to the player's registration.

It is also alleged QPR, along with club official Gianni Paladini, submitted false documents when the 24-year-old signed an extended contract in October 2010.

A statement on the club website said: "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."

FA regulations on third-party ownership were introduced in 2009 to avoid a repeat of the Carlos Tevez affair, where the Argentine striker was signed by West Ham in 2006 even though he was part-owned by Kia Joorabchian's Media Sports Investments company.

A failure to disclose this broke Premier League rules and the Hammers were fined £5.5m but Sheffield United argued that Tevez, who now plays for Manchester City, helped the east London club avoid relegation at their expense.

The Blades, who dropped down to the Championship, successfully sued West Ham for £20m.

QPR manager Neil Warnock, who was in charge of the Sheffield United at the time, later said about the decision: "Most people thought at the time it was an injustice."

[AlFayedsChequebook]

From the Chronicle:

Exclusive - Alejandro Faurlin QPR transfer saga revealed
By Paul Warburton

QPR paid nothing for Alejandro Faurlin when the Argentine midfielder was transferred from Instituto de Cordoba in 2009 – far less than a record £3.5millon fee.

Chronicle Sport has learned from sources both in west London and Argentina the deal was essentially a one-year loan, and a fee was then paid to a group of businessmen to buy out Faurlin's 'contract' and make him unreservedly a Rangers player – it is understood.

Rangers and chairman Gianni Paladini are charged with seven different breaches of FA regulations that could carry a points deduction and/or a fine, not dissimilar to the Carlos Tevez affair that saw West Ham £5.5million out of pocket when they admitted to charges related to the Argentine's ownership in 2007.

Faurlin has gradually become a fans' favourite – but controversy has stalked the transfer fee supposedly paid for the 24-year-old.

It has swung back and forwards between £2m and £3.5m – but an Instituto insider reckons the club have yet to see a single peso.

The source said: "The club got nothing – but that's not uncommon in Argentine football. Quite often businessmen with spare cash invest in a new Maradona – and this looks to be the case here. What was the fee? Who knows?"

QPR were also charged with "using or seeking to pay an unauthorised agent" when the player was signed two years ago.

The FA did not say who the unauthorised agent was, but the governing body considers it a serious offence to deal with anybody who is not licensed under Fifa regulations.

Paladini and the club were also charged with submitting false information in documents lodged with the FA when Faurlin signed an extension to his playing contract last October.

All players' contracts have to be sent to the FA, and it is understood this seventh charge also relates to dealing with an unauthorised agent.



Read More http://www.fulhamchronicle.co.uk/london-sport/london-qpr/2011/03/10/exclusive-alejandro-faurlin-s-qpr-transfer-saga-revealed-82029-28312355/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter#ixzz1GC0culsR

[Fletchino]

The only fair thing to do is take 11 points off last seasons total

[Burt]

Disgraceful.

Automatic relegation should be the penalty.

[GoldCoastWhite]

Disgraceful.

Automatic relegation should be the penalty.

Pah ! RAF should be called in to bomb Loftarse Road into oblivion.  :58:

[The Bronsons]

All for seeing them punished - but if they dock points off QPR doesn't that just make what happened with the Cheats even more dodgy?

Interesting to see which way the FA swing on this.

[The Equalizer]

Hopefully the FA have the balls to follow this up and do something properly if they are guilty. But how much of a points penalty will they actually get? They're currently something like 7 points clear of 2nd place. The most we could hope would be for them to be outside of the play-off places.

On the flip side, it would be nice to have a proper West London derby twice a season. The Chelsea game always seems like one way traffic.

[cebu]

I'm sure the FA will have no trouble in imposing a completely different punishment on QPR than they did on WHU - and no explanation offered.

[JBH]

After the farce with West Ham ove Tevez and Mascerano resulting in a £5 mil fine and no points deduction I can't see how they will be able to treat the QPR situation any differently :029:

[Edwatch_Winston_Malone]

Whatever they do, it will probably be ridiculous...

[Burt]

Whatever they do, it will probably be ridiculous...

Even if they don't actually do anything, which is more than likely.

[jarv]

Warnock/Sheffield united.  He said at the time most people thought it was an injustice. What, West ham being fined 20 million or Sheffield going down?  Warnock was shouting from the roof, West ham should go down instead.

So, if he applies the same logic, QPR should NOT go up. Another team should be given that place.