Queens Park Rangers charged with agent rule breaches

Faurlin has started 30 Championship games for QPR this season

QPR have been charged with breaches of seven Football Association rules over third-party ownership and agents.

They relate to the signing of Argentine midfielder Alejandro Faurlin in 2009 and a contract extension last October.

Punishment for the club could range from a fine to being docked points, a damaging scenario given that QPR currently sit top of the Championship.

The club has denied the charges and has written to the FA to ask for a formal hearing to determine their nature.

The charges concern the alleged existence of an agreement between QPR and a third party in respect of the Faurlin's economic rights, plus the alleged failure by the club to notify the FA of that agreement before the player was signed for £3.5m from Argentine club Instituto in July 2009.

The west London club is also charged with allegedly using or seeking to pay an unauthorised agent in relation to the player's registration.

It is also alleged QPR, along with club official Gianni Paladini, submitted false documents when the 24-year-old signed an extended contract in October 2010.

A statement on the club website said: "Having co-operated fully with the FA's investigation, QPR and Mr Paladini shall be denying all of the charges and requesting a formal FA hearing to determine them.

"QPR and Mr Paladini are confident that there has been no deliberate wrongdoing involved."

An FA spokesman told BBC Sport that the charges would be dealt with as soon as possible and confirmed they would be looking after the case given that the Football League do not have rules on third-party ownership.

FA regulations were introduced in 2009 to avoid a repeat of the Carlos Tevez affair, where the Argentine striker was signed by West Ham in 2006 even though he was part-owned by Kia Joorabchian's Media Sports Investments company.

A failure to disclose this broke Premier League rules and the Hammers were fined £5.5m but Sheffield United argued that Tevez, who now plays for Manchester City, helped the east London club avoid relegation at their expense in 2007.

The Blades, who dropped down to the Championship, successfully claimed about £20m in compensation from West Ham via an independent tribunal.

QPR manager Neil Warnock, who was in charge of the Sheffield United at the time, later said about the initial decision: "Most people thought at the time it was an injustice."

Last week QPR announced that it is in talks with a potential buyer for a majority stake in the club, coming after holding company QPR Holdings announced losses of £13.7m in the year to 31 May 2010.

The club are seven points clear at the top of the Championship with 10 games left in the season.