Sport 24-03-2005 Charges Against Chelsea Stack Up who: Chelsea what: Charged with making illegal approach for Arsenal`s Ashley Cole where: LONDON when: Wednesday snippet: "Chelsea and their head coach, Jose Mourinho, have been charged with making an alleged illegal approach to Arsenal defender Ashley Cole," reports The Telegraph. "The Premier League, who have also charged Cole, could deduct points from the runaway Premiership leaders if they are found guilty." "It took a formal complaint from Arsenal to prompt the Premier League`s investigation," reports The Times, "and, although some of Highbury`s hierarchy may revel in Chelsea`s discomfort, those directors who counselled caution may feel even more strongly that this can of worms should have stayed closed." "The Premier League Board has asked for a formal response to the charges within 14 days," says The Scotsman, "and has begun the process of appointing a three-person independent commission to rule on the matter." Off the pitch, it has not been a good week for Mr Mourinho. The coach, his assistant Steve Clarke and security official Les Miles have all been charged with bringing the game into disrepute after they claimed Barcelona manager Frank Rijkaard had met with referee Anders Frisk during half time when the two teams played at the Nou Camp last month. UEFA`s disciplinary committee said the claims were "wrong and unfounded" and they face fines and touchline bans if found guilty on March 31st. UEFA insists Chelsea "can be sure of a fair trial next week," says Matt Dickinson, chief football correspondent to The Times, "even though football`s European governing body has effectively accused José Mourinho of lying." "It is time to reconsider whether Mourinho is always cunning in his comments," ponders Kevin McCarra in The Guardian. Granted, the furore over his comments got him Pierluigi Collina as ref for the second leg of the tie with Barcelona, just as he had wanted. But when he went on to claim that Anders Frisk always favoured the home team, "this fresh complaint served no purpose at all and its sheer gratuitousness must have disturbed UEFA". McCarra goes on to suggest that Mourinho might be all too conscious of "the remarkably modest origins of his career". The Chelsea boss "has developed a habit of demanding respect, forgetting that he can now take it for granted" and needs to mature in a way more befitting the club`s meteoric success. "The critique of Frisk, who has now retired from refereeing, was out of all proportion in force and duration to the decision to send off Didier Drogba. Mourinho should be far too clever not to appreciate that and take stock." [... more]

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