Chelsea sack £12m Mutu

Chelsea have written off £ 12million after sensationally sacking Adrian Mutu for taking cocaine.

The club have taken a zero-tolerance approach following the Romania striker's positive test for the drug earlier this month.

Despite paying Italian club Parma £15.8m for him in August 2003, the club believe the principle overrides the money they will lose from making him a free agent.

Mutu was in the second year of a five-year deal. Because football clubs write down the value of their players as assets over the term of their contracts, the club have effectively already had £3m of value from him.

The club will benefit, too, from removing themselves from the commitment to pay his wages, thought to be £3m a year or £60,000 a week. That will save them £12m over the next four years.

Chelsea sources also said the club are reserving the right to claim compensation if he is not banned by the Football Association and is given a second chance in the Premiership or at a top club in Europe.

Chelsea, who had refused to comment on the matter until this morning, said they had decided to sack Mutu for gross misconduct.

It is understood the player was informed late last night.

"We want to make clear that Chelsea has a zero-tolerance policy towards drugs," a club statement said today.