Jose: My anger at Cole tap fine

14 April 2012

Jose Mourinho today revealed his unhappiness at being fined £200,000 for his role in the Ashley Cole tapping-up affair.

The Chelsea manager was severely criticised in the Premier League's findings yesterday, being accused of showing a blatant disregard for the organisation's transfer rules, but insists he has been harshly treated.

Mourinho accepts there was a need for a Premier League investigation into his meeting with Cole but is angry with the outcome and has instructed Chelsea's legal team to mount a vigorous appeal.

Such is his anger, it is understood he has cancelled a planned family holiday to Florida so he can be available to assist the appeal.

Speaking for the first time since the verdict Mourinho said: "From the beginning we understood it was a serious process.

"We participated in it with tranquillity but are not happy. The legal department of Chelsea will analyse the situation.

"You can be unhappy at the decision but have to accept that the Premier League wanted to know the reason for the meeting. It's fair that they wanted to investigate why a player, agent, chief executive and manager were meeting around a table."

Chelsea are also angry with the outcome and have vowed to take revenge on Arsenal for their role in the row.

The club were fined a record £300,000, and given a suspended threepoint deduction after being found guilty of making an illegal approach for the Arsenal defender.

Chelsea believe Arsenal's vice-chairman David Dein has been pursuing a personal vendetta against the club and have resolved to make their London rivals suffer the consequences. They are particularly angry that:

Arsenal refused to sign up to a peace pact 24 hours after the 27 January meeting with Cole, in which Chelsea offered to publicly refute any interest in the player.
Dein used his testimony before the Premier League's Independent Commission to urge them to impose a transfer ban, points deduction and compensation payments on Chelsea.

In a strongly-worded statement of intent Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck told Standard Sport: "We're disappointed Arsenal chose to pursue this course of action. It was counter-productive to them, to Ashley Cole and, of course, to us. We have to consider what action to take as a consequence. It will be very difficult for us to forget this."

Chelsea will launch their appeal in the next few days and are also considering challenging the Premier League's transfer rules that they have been found guilty of breaching. Cole has also signalled his intention to appeal against his £100,000 fine.

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