THE football authorities claimed to have struck a serious blow against malpractice yesterday when Ashley Cole’s agent was banned for 18 months, half of it suspended, for touting the defender to Chelsea. The Football Association is hoping that the tough sanctions imposed on Jonathan Barnett will act as a deterrent.

The chairman of Stellar Group, whose company represents up to 300 footballers, immediately announced his intention to appeal against an “excessive and disproportionate” penalty, which included a £100,000 fine.

The money should not mean too much to a businessman who is ferried around in a chauffeur-driven Bentley — although it is more than Cole and José Mourinho were fined by the FA Premier League for attending the infamous meeting at the Royal Park Hotel in 2005 — but Barnett’s representatives claim that the suspension of his licence for nine months will have a significant effect on his livelihood.

That remains to be seen. Policing the ban will not be easy, but Barnett risks triggering a further nine-month suspension if he is caught in any transfer or contract negotiations. With players and clubs also open to punishment if they deal with him, the FA will hope that the penalty will act as a warning to other agents at a time when the sport’s business practices are under intense scrutiny.

After a hearing lasting a day and a half, a four-man commission chaired by an independent QC concluded that Barnett had been “a prime mover” in setting up the meeting attended by Barnett, Cole, Mourinho, Peter Kenyon, the Chelsea chief executive, and Pini Zahavi, the agent. “We consider this a most serious case of its kind, involving, as it did, a leading English international player contracted to one of England’s premier clubs . . . and also involving the chief executive and manager of another leading English premier club,” a statement read.

Barnett’s failure to accept any blame — he and Cole have argued that they had no idea that Mourinho and Kenyon would be at the hotel — also counted against him. “There having been no acceptance by Mr Barnett of his guilt on these charges, there is no scope for additional mitigation in that respect,” the statement read. “We are wholly satisfied that there is need in this case for an element of deterrence.”

It is the first time an agent has had his licence revoked by the FA in connection with illegal approaches for players. The FA has passed files to Fifa and the Israeli FA, but no charges have been brought against Zahavi, who is beyond the English governing body’s remit because he is not registered in this country.

Barnett’s appeal hearing should finally bring an end to a saga that has lasted 20 months and which resulted in Cole joining Chelsea this summer amid much acrimony. In his book My Defence, Cole launched a fierce attack on his former employers at Arsenal and the Premier League for pursuing a “tapping-up” case against him. He was fined £75,000, as was Mourinho — both fines having been reduced — while Chelsea had to pay £300,000 for negotiating over tea and biscuits and were handed a suspended three-point deduction.

Barnett will be able to conduct commercial transactions such as sponsorship deals for his clients. Other directors at Stellar will be able to take up the contract and transfer negotiations, but one leading figure believes that Barnett’s reputation has been significantly damaged. Simon Jordan, the Crystal Palace chairman, an outspoken critic of agents, said: “He’s been named and shamed. He’s been vilified. He’s been whacked in the pocket, which none of them like. From the point of view of his personal credibility, it’s in the toilet.”

Barnett is likely to argue at appeal that, in contrast to the allegations of bung-taking swirling around football, his offence may be regarded as a technical breach of the laws. “Tapping- up” is a daily feature of the game; his mistake was being caught doing it so brazenly.

Explore Football

• Premier League

• Football League

• Scotland

• European Football

• International Football

• TheGame

• Live Match Tracker

• The Fink Tank

• Fantasy Football