Turmoil at QPR after Amit Bhatia resigns

Promoted Queens Park Rangers FC were looking to establish themselves in the Premier League following their return back to the top tier after 15 long years. But boardroom troubles could hamper the clubs future with even manager Neil Warnock's job not safe anymore.

The clubs chairman and CEO Ishan Saksena was fired by the board as they weren't happy the way he handled the clubs affairs in the FA constituted panel on Alejandro Damián Faurlín though the club was only given a fine of £875,000 after two of seven charges were proven, but no points penalty given which ensured the clubs promotion.

Then the club also decided to hike ticket prices by 40% on average which has meant that some tickets prices have been doubled. All this happened in opposition to the wishes of the Mittal family for whom Mittal's son-in-law Amit Bhatia was a member of the board, but he has resigned following these events.

It has been Ishan Saksena and Amit Bhatia who have ensured that the club returned to the Premiership under manager Warnock, while the other co-owners in Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone and Italian Flavio Briatore let them get about their work. Now they want to be more involved with the running of the club as they are back amongst the big boys. The Mittal's actually offered Ecclestone £50 Million earlier this week for his shares in the club, but that offer was turned down.

Bhatia could not hide his frustration at the latest developments in a statement. Amit said, "It is clear from recent board meetings that my vision, strategy and direction for the club is very different from that of the other shareholders and board members. The recent decisions to sack club CEO and chairman Ishan Saksena and significantly increase season ticket prices are just two of the decisions I disagree with. While it saddens me to leave QPR, I do not wish to be associated with decisions made by the board and with which I disagree so strongly."

"The Mittal family had been in discussions concerning the possible acquisition of the club. However, we have been unable to reach agreement on this matter and therefore those discussions have now come to an end."

"Although no longer a decision-maker at QPR, I shall continue to be a 33 per cent owner and a fan of the club. In due course, we will appoint a board representative to monitor my family's investment in the club," Amit ended.

Manager Warnock has had his biggest supporters in Saksena and Bhatia, both are currently gone with Saksena a possible replacement for Amit Bhatia on the board. But Briatore will once more push for an Italian manager to come and coach the club. The names of Claudio Ranieri and Marcello Lippi have been linked with QPR over the last few weeks with Saksena and Bhatia denying again and again that Warnock would be replaced by a high profile manager. Now that is possible again.

QPR fans aren't happy as Briatore has done more damage to QPR while he has been in control at the club then anyone else and now his vision is to turn QPR into a 'Boutique' west London club. Sometimes the Italian influence in football isn't automatically better then the Indian, here it is actually much worse...