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Former League chief slams Chelsea
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-06-06 09:40

Former Premier League chief executive Peter Leaver has described Chelsea's attempts to bring in Tottenham sporting director Frank Arnesen as a "display of breathtaking arrogance".

Chelsea insist their approach was above board but Spurs' claims have again pitched the Premiership champions into controversy just days after being fined ?00,000 for "tapping up" Arsenal's Ashley Cole.

Leaver believes this latest incident highlights the need for football administrators to be given regulatory approval before taking office.

He told BBC Radio Five Live: "It is the sort of thing that goes on in all walks of life but I would hope Spurs have Arnesen on a contract which requires him to give a reasonable notice period and during that notice period he would effectively be put on garden leave.

"One frequently sees group of investment bankers moving from one investment bank to another.

"They have been, in a number of cases, induced to breach their contract and frequently they are put on garden leave as a result and they have to work out their notice period on garden leave and don't work for their original employer.

"The difficulty football has is they are trying to treat themselves as a completely different commercial activity to any other form of commercial activity.

"One doesn't want to be too rude about Chelsea at the moment but where does the truth lie when one has had what happened over the Ashley Cole case?

"I think my real problem with this is it is such a breathtaking display of arrogance by Chelsea in the aftermath of the Ashley Cole affair.

"It seems to me it is going to be inevitable that there should be a fit and proper qualification for anyone who is going to be involved in football administration."

Leaver believes Chelsea are offending their fellow Premier League clubs. He feels that a fit and proper persons test would at least keep clubs in line and help prevent incidents such as the Cole case.

He added: "If there were such a test, as there is in financial services, the authorities would be looking very long and very hard at what is going on at Chelsea at the moment.

"If you have a company which goes around breaking the regulations on a regular basis then the chief executive of that company will be hauled into the regulatory decisions committee. I don't think that is a test that is too difficult for football to apply."

Chelsea's wealth since their takeover by Roman Abramovich has enabled them to spend lavishly but Leaver hopes they are not allowed to become too cavalier in their dealings with other clubs.

He said: "I think if people behave well it doesn't really matter what their muscle is.

"I think the real problem arrives when people start behaving arrogantly and behaving improperly and behaving badly.

"They have to live with 19 other clubs in the Premier League. The way they are going about things at the moment seems to me to make it very difficult to live with those clubs."



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