League Championship side Queens Park Rangers was "ordered to pay a world-record" £40M ($53M) fine after losing a three-year battle against being found guilty of breaching Financial Fair Play rules during the club's "most recent promotion-winning campaign," according to Ben Rumsby of the London TELEGRAPH. QPR’s claim that the English Football League’s FFP regulations were “unlawful” and that the fine levied on them was “disproportionate” was dismissed by an arbitration panel, with both parties informed of the decision last week. The club confirmed on Tuesday it "would be appealing a verdict" that also spelled "bad news" for EPL sides Leicester City and Bournemouth, which the EFL pursued for "effectively cheating their way to promotion" in '13-14 and '14-15, respectively. Acknowledging it took "a long time" for the matter to be resolved, EFL CEO Shaun Harvey said, "This decision vindicates the approach of the EFL board in defending this challenge. The board will continue to enforce our rules on clubs to protect the interests of those that do comply." The £40M fine is "thought to be the largest ever issued in sport," topping the £32M the McLaren Formula 1 team ended up being docked for the '07 "Spygate" scandal (TELEGRAPH, 10/24). In London, Gary Jacob reported new rules were implemented from last season that allow losses of £39M ($51.7M) over three seasons. QPR announced losses of £9.8M for the '13-14 season, when it was promoted by winning the League Championship playoff. However, the club wrote off £60M in loans as an "exceptional item." The EFL said that such moves "were not permitted" (LONDON TIMES, 10/25).
