Chelsea facing hefty fine in Cole ‘tap-up’ case

Adrian Curtis

The Barclays Premiership champions are almost certainly looking at a hefty financial penalty rather than starting the defence of their title next season with a points deficit.

The two-day inquiry begins today and it was claimed yesterday that Cole’s agent had made demands which Arsenal were unwilling to meet. As a result talks on a new contract for Cole have stalled.

The simmering feud could bring an end to Cole’s career in north London.

Apart from his link with Chelsea, Barcelona are also believed to be in the hunt for the England defender.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is unhappy with the timing of the hearing, just days before the club take on Manchester United in the FA Cup final at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium.

The Frenchman is adamant it will affect his team’s preparations.

In spite of all the media attention on the Arsenal defender, he is training normally with the club this week and will take part in the final.

Wenger and the Arsenal board are convinced the differential between them and the player over the 24-year-old’s basic wages can be overcome but both sides are equally aware that time is becoming an issue.

Wenger claims the contract talks will restart as soon as the hearing has been completed while Chelsea, charged by the FAPL over an alleged meeting in a west London hotel in which chief executive Peter Kenyon, manager Jose Mourinho, agent Pini Zahavi, Barnett and Cole were present, will learn their fate before the champions fly out to South Korea to play Asian giants Suwon Bluewings.

The meeting, it is alleged, was a clear breach of Premiership rules which govern contact with a player who is contracted to another club.

If found guilty, Chelsea could be docked points for next season but a financial penalty is far more likely.

However, Arsenal are almost certain to put pressure on the FAPL for a harsh punishment if the illegal approach charge is proven.

Mourinho will attend the hearing before heading to Chelsea’s trip to South Korea.

Mourinho and Cole were charged on March 23. Cole was formally charged under Rule K5, governing approaches from players to clubs while Chelsea were charged under Rule K3, which governs approaches from clubs to players. Mourinho was charged under Rule Q, governing managers’ conduct.

The chairman of the commission will be former High Court judge Philip Otton.

Cisse stakes his claim but admits he’s still not fully fit

Paul Walker

TWO-GOAL hero Djibril Cisse admits he is only “70 or 80% fit” as he heads for the Champions League final.

Cisse scored twice in Sunday’s 2-1 win over Aston Villa to emphatically stake his for a place in the starting line-up againstAC Milan on May 25 for the biggest prize in club football.

If he his picked, Milan Baros could miss out, unless manager Rafael Benitez takes the unlikely step of playing both his main strikers in the Ataturk Stadium in Istanbul.

Cisse, who almost lost a leg when he suffered a severe fracture at Blackburn in October, was not expected to play again this season when he began his rehabilitation.

Now he says of the prospect of playing in Istanbul: “I am not thinking about starting against Milan, that is a decision for the manager to make.

“It was just important that we finished our league season with three points.

I feel good but still only about 70 or 80% fit.”

However, Cisse could not hide his delight at a comeback that has boosted Benitez’s options for Istanbul.

He said “I scored the goals not for me but for the fans and the medical staff.”

Cisse opened the scoring against Villa from the penalty spot after he had been brought down by Mark Delaney and added a second after clever play by Josemi.

Cisse added: “It was really important for me to score before the end of the season because of all the work I have done at Melwood with the staff and players.

“I am strong in my head and always knew that I would play and score again but it was really special to do it at Anfield, in front of the Liverpool fans, my family and my girlfriend.”

Benitez has until tomorrowweek to work on Cisse’s fitness and to make a decision about the make-up of his side in Turkey.

He said: “It was good to finish the season winning, and watching our supporters at the end was just fantastic for us all.

“Cisse needed to score goals, he is very happy and we are as well because we can play either him or Baros or both.

“It was difficult for him after the injury to even say he would play again. He has worked really hard with the medical staff and in training, so to play 90 minutes was difficult for him but we now have 10 more days to work on him and he is a real possibility now.

“If you have only one striker you have no selection problem, no choice. So now we have more options and that is good for us.”

Benitez also spared a word for Jamie Carragher, who has been inspirational this season and the only Liverpool player to have figured in every match and every minute of their league season.

He said: “I was delighted for him, he has had a wonderful season. He was captain for the final game and deserved that”