'Colegate' will not be reopened

The Premier League have no plans to reopen the Ashley Cole “tapping-up” case after the England defender slammed the process in his book.

Cole has criticised their inquiry into his meeting with Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho and chief executive Peter Kenyon at a London hotel in January last year.

The full-back claims the trio met by chance and that the evidence given to the inquiry by Mourinho and Kenyon was “rubbish”.

Cole said: “For me, the judgment was one mass assumption – it seemed they had filled in the gaps for themselves with a form of justice based on their being no smoke without fire.”

The findings, however, will stand.

Premier League spokesman Dan Johnson said: “As far as we are concerned, the inquiry was held to the highest possible standards.

“We are perfectly satisfied with the way the process was run.

“The case was ruled on, appealed and ruled on again. Now let’s move on.”

Cole was fined £100,000 (€147,000) for his role in the illegal meeting after he was found to have approached Chelsea while under contract at Arsenal. The fine was later reduced to £75,000 (€101,000) on appeal.

Mourinho and Chelsea were also punished for their roles in the meeting.

Mourinho was fined £200,000 (€294,900), reduced to £75,000 (€101,000) on appeal. Chelsea were fined £300,000 and hit with a suspended three-point penalty.

In his book, Cole is highly critical of Arsenal and especially vice-chairman David Dein for their handling of the episode.

The defender eventually left the Gunners for Chelsea on transfer deadline day, nearly 20 months after his initial meeting with Mourinho and Kenyon.

His book, ‘My Defence’, gives his side of the story and is published by Headline on September 21.