Football League to Scrutinize Briatore's QPR Ownership

Following the final verdict announced by the World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) on Monday, former Renault boss Flavio Briatore is likely to be kicked out from the English Football League as well. The 59-year old Italian was handed a lifetime ban by the FIA as a result of his involvement in the Renault race-fixing scandal.

However, Briatore is also co-owner of Coca-Cola Championship club Queens Park Rangers, together with Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone. Under the current rules of the English Football Association, person who has been expelled from another sport cannot be a club director in the Football League.

“The Football League chairman, Lord Mawhinney, has today written to the FIA to request further details of its decision. Thereafter, the League will consider its position on the matter,” a Football League spokesman said yesterday, according to planetf1.com.

Briatore and Ecclestone bought into the London club in November 2007. One month later, the two businessmen were joined by Lakshmi Mittal, the 4th richest person in the world, who also bought some 20 percent of the team.

The Italian did not issue any statement regarding the verdict in the crash-gate, which will see him out of the motor racing world – the FIA-sanctioned one, at least – for the rest of his life. Following the documents provided by the FIA to the football league, Briatore might have to renounce football as well, while also likely to never be permitted to enter any sport-related activity in the future.