Flavio Briatore Reaction and Paul Hart Ready To Buy
Posted On 05/01/2010 at at 21:43 by Alistair Kleebauer
Briatore Reacts to Ban Overturn
As reported earlier, Flavio Briatore today learned that his appeal against his lifetime ban from Formula One has been successful. The decision by a French court means Briatore could now return to the sport should he wish and pending an appeal by the governing body, the FIA. It also means that he will very likely remain as chairman of QPR and maintain his majority stake in the club and he is unlikely to be sanctioned in any way by the Football League. They could have banned him from being a director of and holding shares in QPR under their ‘Fit and Proper Persons’ test had his appeal been unsuccessful.
He spoke of his relief today and said he would not rule out a return to Formula One.
“"My attention is on my family then we'll see. It will take a bit of time because the pain I felt in recent months was very deep,” he said.
Briatore received the ban last September after the FIA ruled he was involved in a plot to stage a deliberate crash at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix. It seems the role of former FIA president, Max Mosley, in banning Briatore was crucial in the court judging that the sanction was “illegal”. In a written statement, the court declared that Mosley and Briatore were well-known to be in conflict with each other.
“Mr Mosley played a key role in launching the inquiry and the legal process, violating the principle of a separation of the bodies that are responsible for the investigation and the judgment”.
It was also judged that Briatore did not have adequate opportunity to defend himself. The court noted that Briatore was only informed of the FIA hearing by email three days before it happened, he was not told why he had been charged and he was not sent any documents relating to the hearing in advance.
Briatore had requested €1.5m in compensation but was only awarded €15,000 which must now be paid by the FIA within 15 days. He didn’t attend the hearing but his lawyer, Philippe Ouakrat, expressed his happiness at the verdict.
“Mr Briatore wanted to be free to do what he wants and he did not want imposed on him an outrageous sanction taken in his absence and without being able to defend himself.”
The FIA’s lawyer, Jean-Francois Prat, indicated that they would “very likely” appeal the decision.
Paul Hart Can Spend, Spend, Spend
That news means current QPR manager Paul Hart can expect continued involvement from his Italian boss in the running of the club and buying of players. Briatore has been notorious for taking a hands-on role in the procurement of players and even in team selection. Though previous boss Jim Magilton seemed to escape interference in the teams he picked that may well have been down to Briatore having greater concerns recently, as mentioned above. Freed of his Formula One woes, he could now turn his attention back to his misfiring football team.
The positive consequence for Hart is that he can still count on financial backing from Briatore and his partners. Even before today’s decision, Hart indicated, after the weekend’s draw at Sheffield United, that he will be looking to spend during the January transfer window.
“'We're hoping to do some business,' he told QPR.co.uk (http://www.qpr.co.uk/page/TheGaffer/0,,10373~1921855,00.html).
'I've only been here a short time, three weeks or so, but hopefully we can bring in a couple of players to add to the squad.'
'I've only been here a short time, three weeks or so, but hopefully we can bring in a couple of players to add to the squad.'
Flavio Briatore Ban Overturned
Posted On at at 14:35 by Alistair Kleebauer
As currently reported by Reuters (http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/05012010/2/briatore-life-ban-overturned-french-court.html) Flavio Briatore has succeeded in his appeal against the lifetime ban from Formula One imposed by the FIA. Briatore filed an appeal with the Tribunal de Grande Instance in Paris last November and their decision has just been announced. This should remove the need for the Football League to investigate and possibly sanction Briatore under their 'Fair and Proper Persons' test. More on the judgement and its potential significance for QPR to follow.
Flavio Briatore D-Day
Posted On at at 12:21 by Alistair Kleebauer
To still be in the FA Cup beyond the third-round weekend was a big step for QPR and more on their 1-1 draw with Sheffield United will follow. In the meantime, some news of even greater significance could emerge in just over an hour when a Paris high court announces whether Flavio Briatore has been successful in appealing his lifetime ban from Formula One. Briatore filed an appeal with the Tribunal de Grande Instance last November after the FIA refused to sanction any motorsports events which Briatore attended following his involvement in a race-fixing scandal. The Tribunal is scheduled to announce its decision at 13.30.
For QPR supporters the decision could impact greatly on the ownership of their club. The Football League refused to judge Briatore under their 'Fit and Proper Persons Test', which determines whether individuals can sit as directors of a club or own more than 30% of its shares, until it heard the outcome of his appeal. Briatore falls under the remit of the test on both accounts; he is chairman of the club and is reported to own a 53% stake.
Under the test, anyone who has been "banned by a Sports Governing Body from involvement in the administration of that sport" can fail it and be required to relinquish their position as a director and their shares in its holding company. Should that occur, Briatore would have a limited right of appeal (only to contest a 'factual inaccuracy' in the judgement) and QPR would face strict punishments, including possible suspension from the League, should they ignore the judgement.
Who would take on his majority stake is also far from clear? Briatore himself helped to secure a 20% investment in the club from the Lakshmi Mittal family and his son-in-law Amit Bhatia was also made a director of the club. Would their interest in QPR extend to investing in a much larger stake?
Those questions can only be answered once the Football League has made a decision though. After the result of the appeal today, they could feasibly still order their own investigation into the matter so QPR supporters could still wait some time before learning who will now own their club. More to follow once the result of the appeal is announced.
Up for the Cup? - Sheffield United vs QPR Team News and Prediction
Posted On 03/01/2010 at at 12:41 by Alistair Kleebauer
New Year, New QPR? Top of Paul Hart's New Year's resolutions must be a win today in the FA Cup. Rangers haven't been beyond the third round since 2001 so a win today would go some way to improve the image of Hart with the Loftus Road faithful. It's a far from easy ask though. For a manager just coming to terms with a new squad, he probably hoped for an easier draw than today's. After a differing autumn which saw them fall down the table, the Blades have been putting together a formidable run in the league to now reclaim their place as perennial play-off candidates. It's stretching the point to say a QPR win would be a big cup upset, but the home side are clear favourites going into this game.
Sheffield United Team News
United can call on new loan signing Marcel Seip who just joined the club from Plymouth Argyle. After falling out with then manager Paul Sturrock earlier in the season, the defender was placed on the transfer list and spent the first half of the season on loan at Blackpool. United were quick to strengthen their defensive options after two other loan signings, Andrew Davies and Toni Kallio returned to Stoke City and Fulham respectively.
Two likely absentees are Darius Henderson up front (gluteal muscle) and defender Kyle Walker (thigh strain). Henderson's unavailability will be welcome news to the travelling Hoops fans; with 10 goals this season, he is the Blades' top scorer by some distance.
Midfielder Lee Williamson is back in contention for a starting place after recovering from a hamstring injury.
QPR Team News
QPR are without two of their recent loan signings, Ben Watson and Tommy Williams who have returned to Wigan Athletic and Peterborough United respectively.
Of the two, Watson looked to have the most potential on arriving at the club, showing the calm control and accurate passing which still mark him out as a talented footballer but his performances recently suggested he was more than ready to move on from the club. Whether Wigan were unwilling to accept a longer loan initially or whether Rangers didn't desire one, I can't help thinking he would have made a more positive impact if he knew he was at the club for the rest of the season.
The signing of Williams was even more short-termist and questionable in its reasoning. Though Gary Borrowdale had performed admirably for much of the season, the decision was made to replace him with Williams even though his loan was only for just over a month. Though Williams coped commendably in a team that was falling apart, it looked like another destabilising influence on a defence that was struggling to cope anyway.
More positively, Matt Connolly is now fit and could and should play today. As mentioned in previous posts, though he has struggled for playing time this season, whenever he does Rangers tend to concede fewer of the sloppy goals that have blighted their season.
Form
In league games, United's form trumps QPR's by some distance at the moment with five wins in their last eight games, taking them to the seventh in the table. Rangers on the other hand managed just two wins in the whole of November and December, culminating in the miserable concession at Ipswich on Monday which can hardly have raised spirits for this game.
In terms of the Cup, United have much the better recent pedigree as well. They've made it to at least the fifth round in five of the last seven years; QPR's woeful Cup record doesn't warrant repetition.
Prediction
Hart deserves to be granted greater benefit of the doubt if Rangers' current performances aren't up to scratch, but very few seem keen to afford him this luxury at the moment. He inherited what can best be described as a mish-mash of footballers, talented yes but ultimately lacking in even a modicum of team-spirit. We can only speculate, but I'd suggest the QPR dressing room was far from a happy place in the last few weeks and Hart now has the job of picking those players back up again.
This game could come too quickly to see a vast improvement from the limp display on Monday though. The Cup setting must raise the ambitions and spirits of the away side but the defensive tightness and physical nature of United's game will really test this crop of players' footballing desire. I don't foresee an embarrassment such as against Ipswich or Middlesbrough but the home side currently look the safer bet.
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