Chelsea, Mourinho and Cole fined over 'tap-up'

Chelsea, their manager Jose Mourinho and Arsenal's Ashley Cole were all handed record fines on Wednesday for their part in the England defender's "tapping-up" affair.

The Premier League handed down a fine of 300,000 pounds ($544,100) to Chelsea who were also told they would have three points deducted if they committed a similar offence next season. Chelsea won the Premier League from Arsenal by 12 points.

Mourinho was fined 200,000 pounds and Cole 100,000 after all three parties had been found guilty of breaking Premier League rules by attending a meeting at a London hotel on January 27.

The Premier League reached its decisions following an inquiry by an independent commission into allegations that Chelsea "tapped-up" Cole in an attempt to sign him.

All parties were given 14 days to appeal and both Chelsea and Cole's lawyers immediately announced they would do so.

Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck said: "We are almost certainly going to appeal. We believe that attending the meeting (with Cole in January) did not go over the line... we think that the sanctions are totally disproportionate to the alleged sin."

Cole's lawyer Graham Shear argued that the Premier League rules breach European employment law and said: "I think you can take it from me that we will be lodging that appeal."

"Not only so far as the factual or evidentiary side of this decision is concerned but so far as the restraint (of trade) issues are concerned as well and under instructions from Ashley (we) intend to pursue these to their fullest conclusion."

The previous highest fine for an illegal approach was the 20,000 pounds Liverpool had to pay after speaking to Christian Ziege when he was at Middlesbrough in 2000. The German defender was also fined 10,000 pounds.

RULE BREACHES

The Premier League said Chelsea were in breach of a rule prohibiting clubs making an approach to a contracted player without first obtaining the permission of his club.

Cole was found guilty of approaching another club with a view to negotiating a contract without obtaining the prior written consent of his club.

Mourinho was found to be in breach of a rule governing managers' conduct.

A Premier League spokesman, announcing the fines, said: "We recognise that Ashley Cole was manipulated to a large extent by his agent..."

"In imposing the fine we do, we intend that other players who may be tempted to act in a similar fashion will be deterred from such irresponsible behaviour..."

"We consider it unacceptable that Chelsea FC saw fit to respond to an invitation extended by (agents) Pini Zahavi and Jonathan Barnett," he added.

"It was a rash and dangerous course to take and was likely to and did bring the club into disrepute in the eyes of other Premier (League) clubs and the public alike."

The spokesman said the Premier League recommended "that the responsible bodies concerned should investigate the roles of the two agents" who are not subject to the same rules as players and clubs.

Regarding Mourinho he said the manager had "played a pivotal role in the events leading up to and during the January 27 meeting. He agreed to accompany (Chelsea chief executive) Peter Kenyon when he could and should have realised the implications of the secret meeting and declined to go.

"The presence of the manager was vital because he was the key component in the discussions. Managers are fully aware of their obligations under the rules and he acted in blatant disregard of them."

The incident was investigated last month by the three-man independent commission who interviewed Cole, Mourinho, Kenyon and Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein, who made the initial complaint and was seeking compensation for his club.

Mourinho initially denied that he and Kenyon had met Cole, saying he was in Milan speaking with (Inter) striker Adriano when the meeting took place, while Cole, who is contracted to Arsenal until 2007, has never denied his presence.

The future of Cole, present for the verdict having arrived back from the U.S. earlier on Wednesday after playing in England's 3-2 win over Colombia in New Jersey on Tuesday, remained unclear although Arsenal want him to stay.