Chelsea guilty of tapping up Cole

Jose Mourinho and Ashley Cole were this afternoon found guilty in football's "tapping up" scandal.

Chelsea FC was also found guilty of entering into illegal transfer talks behind the backs of Cole's club Arsenal.

They faced record fines from the Premier League over clubs and players making unauthorised approaches.

After the verdicts were announced talks were going on to establish the extent of the fines. The Premier League said penalties would be announced after statements of mitigation. The charges stem from a meeting between Cole, who has two years of his contract to run, and Chelsea manager Mourinho at a London hotel in January.

Also there was Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon along with Cole's agent Jonathan Barnett and Chelsea's "Mr Fixit" Pini Zahavi.

Cole is earning an estimated £27,000 a week and is considered one of the best defenders in the Premiership.

It is thought Chelsea would have been prepared to pay him much more, although any move is now off.

Today's ruling was by a three-man Premier League commission headed by High Court judge Sir Phillip Otton.

The parties have 14 days to appeal. It is understood that Cole will argue that his human rights were infringed by the terms of his contract which forbid him from talking to other clubs.