THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
LONDON — A fresh inquiry into the contentious contract that brought Carlos Tevez to England three years ago has cleared West Ham of further wrongdoing.
The latest investigation focused on changes made to the Argentina forward’s contract that enabled him to play in the last three matches of the 2006-07 season. His goals helped West Ham stay in the top flight at the expense of Sheffield United.
West Ham has already been fined 5.5 million pounds (C$10 million) in April 2007 by a disciplinary commission for breaking rules on third-party ownership of players in the transfers of Tevez and Argentina midfielder Javier Mascherano.
Last September, an independent panel found that Tevez was not eligible to play in the matches, ruling that Sheffield United was entitled to compensation from West Ham because Tevez’s goals condemned them to relegation. A figure between 10 million and 15 million pounds (C$18 million and $27 million) was agreed by the clubs in March.
The latest inquiry, conducted by the Premier League and the Football Association, considered elements of that verdict by Hugh Griffiths, focusing on how Tevez’s contract was revised in April 2007.
“The inquiry has concluded that, on the basis of the evidence available to them, there is no prima facie case that West Ham United and/or its officials did commit any further breaches of Premier League or FA rules immediately after the independent disciplinary commission’s decision,” the FA and Premier League said Friday in a statement.
Tevez — now with Manchester City — and Mascherano — now with Liverpool — moved to West Ham in August 2006 from Brazilian side Corinthians on free transfers.
When they joined, their contracts were owned by British-based company Media Sports Investment and another third party — a fact hidden by the Hammers from the league.
Tevez, who joined Manchester United in the off-season following West Ham’s survival, moved to City on Tuesday after his two-year loan deal at Old Trafford expired.
That drew a line under the contract dispute that has lingered since Tevez moved to the Premier League in 2006.
Manchester City assumed complete registration rights to the player from the group that previously owned his economic rights.