League await response from QPR owner Briatore

Flavio Briatore's future as part-owner of QPR came under intense scrutiny on Thursday as the Football League deliberated over the possibility of disqualification of the Italian from the board of the Championship club.

GettyImages

Flavio Briatore: Future under scrutiny.

"The Board conducted a comprehensive review of the situation, including the receipt of advice from leading counsel," read a statement. "After considering all the information presently available to it and in the interest of due process, the Board will seek responses from Mr Briatore before commenting further."

The League revealed they will await a response from the Italian millionaire before deciding his fate.

Briatore was recently banned from Formula One motor racing for his role in the "crashgate" scandal - where he instructed Nelson Piquet Jr to deliberately crash in 2008 - which could deem him unfit to own a football club under league rules. The "fit and proper persons test" states that no person who has been banned by another governing body can serve as a director or club owner.

The League's decision carries huge significance for QPR. Briatore brought in F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone and steel billionaire Lakshmi Mittal to Loftus Road and a disqualification for the Italian could see all three men seeking a way out.

The League, who are also looking into ownership issues at Notts County and Leeds, will now force clubs to disclose fully the identity of their owners.

"As of today, and having taken advice from legal counsel in regard to existing League regulations, it was unanimously agreed that it will be the policy of the Board to insist that it is informed, with supporting evidence provided, of the ultimate beneficial owners of all Football League clubs," said the statement.

League Two County are still sweating over whether Middle East consortium Munto Finance, who brought in ex-England boss Sven Goran Eriksson as director of football, will be ruled fit and proper.

"We are very grateful to Notts County for providing us with further information in regard to its ownership structure," continued the statement.

"Meetings to clarify a few outstanding issues will occur during the next few days, with a view to concluding matters in the near future."

The League has also written to Leeds seeking further clarification after question marks were raised over their ownership in a recent report.