Gianni Paladini (born 1946 in Napoli, Italy) is the current chairman of Queens Park Rangers football club after replacing Bill Power in a boardroom coup. He is part of the Monaco-based consortium, Wanlock LLC, that owns 30% of QPR. Year 1946 (MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full 1946 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Origin A neologism created in reaction to comments made by State Senator Bill Napoli (R-SD). ... A Chairman is the presiding officer of a meeting, organization, committee, or other deliberative body. ... Queens Park Rangers are an English football team, from Shepherds Bush, London. ... Chairman of the Board redirects here. ... Coup redirects here. ... A consortium is an association of two or more individuals, companies, organisations or governments (or any combination of these entities) with the objective of participating in a common activity or pooling their resources for achieving a common goal. ... The percent sign. ...

A promising teenage footballer, he was forced to give up the game at the age of 18, before playing a single game for his home town club Napoli - although, between 1958 and 1967, Paladini claimed he was on Napoli’s books wearing the No 10 shirt, and later played for Juventus and the Italian national Womens Netball Team as Goal Attack. Società Sportiva Calcio Napoli, commonly referred to as simply Napoli or the abbreviation SSC Napoli, is an Italian professional football club based in Naples, Campania that was originally founded in 1904. ... Jan. ... Year 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. ... Juventus Football Club (Latin for Youth, pronounced yoo-VEHN-toos) is one of Italys oldest and most successful football clubs, based in Turin. ...

Paladini came to England in the late sixties and settled in Solihull, marrying English wife Olga - the couple have two children, Stephen and Kate. He built up a business which involved property and nightclubs. , Solihull (IPA: , or ) is a large town in the West Midlands of England, with a population of 94,753. ...

Football

When the Premiership started importing foreign stars, Paladini became an interpreter in the football industry and eventually an agent for stars mainly linked with Middlesbrough F.C., such as Fabrizio Ravanelli, Benito Carbone and Brazilians Emerson Moisés Costa and Juninho Paulista. Middlesbrough Football Club (commonly known as Boro) are an English football club based in Middlesbrough. ... Fabrizio Ravanelli (born in Perugia, December 11, 1968) is a former Italian soccer player. ... Benito Carbone (born 14 August 1971 in Bagnara) is an Italian professional football player who currently plays for Vicenza Calcio as a striker. ... Emerson Moisés Costa (born April 12, 1972 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), commonly known as just Emerson, is a Brazilian footballer. ... For other persons named Juninho, see Juninho (disambiguation). ...

QPR

In 1996, music tycoon Chris Wright took over the West London club, but five years later he was forced to put the club into administration due to crippling debts. A year later the club got out of administration but only after securing a £10m loan from the ABC Corporation, based in Panama. The interest on the loan was rumoured at around £1m a year - for a club that had never made a profit. This was the background of financial desperation out of which Mr Paladini emerged. Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ... Chris Wright may refer to: Chris Wright (cricketer), of Middlesex County Cricket Club Chris Wright (footballer), of Boston United F.C. C.W. Anderson, wrestler Chris Wright, founder and chairman of Chrysalis Group, a UK media company. ...

In June 2003, QPR announced that Moorbound Ltd had bought 22% (now diluted to 14%) of the PLC's issued shares, and giving the club a much needed cash injection of around £650,000. The deal saw Azeem Malik join the board. Paladini could not join the board as he was a registered football agent. ^[1]. The QPR board were glad to meet someone who wanted to inject money into the club, and particularly when Paladini promised that Moorbound were the vehicle for another party with far more cash, and that he personally would bring stars such as Benito Carbone to Loftus Road. Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Benito Carbone (born 14 August 1971 in Bagnara) is an Italian professional football player who currently plays for Vicenza Calcio as a striker. ...

In fact, Paladini had remortgaged one of his homes and was far from the multi-millionaire saviour who directors and supporters thought would rescue their club. By August 2005 several people within the club had become hostile towards Mr Paladini, and were suspicious about his plans for the club. Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The Alleged gun incident

On 13 August 14,000 fans turned up to see QPR play Sheffield United. Paladini arrived at the ground around 2pm with his son, daughter and grandson Gianluca, who was due to be the club's mascot that day. Paladini went upstairs to the chairman's suite and bumped into David Morris, the owner of a 2% share in the club, who asked to have a private word with him. is the 225th day of the year (226th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Sheffield United F.C. are a football club in The Football League. ...

Mr Paladini claimed at Blackfriars Crown Court that he was led into the chief executive's office and was surrounded by a group of thugs. Paladini said he had been terrified and claimed that at one point one of the gang held a gun at his head and said: '"Sign, sign the paper - we'll kill you." Defendant David Davenport was alleged to have pointed a gun at him and said: "We're not messing about, we've got guns." Co-defendant Aaron Lacey was alleged to have pushed something into the back of Paladini's head and said: "Let's kill him now." Towards the end of the ordeal, it was claimed David Morris said: "Now the boys will teach you what life is about." Paladini then allegedly received a number of slaps and blows, and claimed he was forced to sign several documents resigning from the club and handing over his 14.7% stake in the club.

However, Police investigating the incident never found the documents, only a scrunched up piece of paper in Mr Paladini's handwriting. Further, after being asked to attend the Loftus Road ground urgently by his family, during the interview Paladini left the room to celebrate a QPR goal.

During the trial, the prosecution claimed security company boss Andy Baker had been hired by David Morris to recruit a gang of hard men to intimidate Paladini. But giving evidence at the trial, Baker said he had been invited as a guest of Morris's brother Dan and was hoping to tout for the club's lucrative stewarding contract, which was up for renewal. When asked about the £7,000 found by police in the pocket of his hooded top he said part of it was wages for his employees and the rest was "to grease some wheels at QPR to help us get the (stewarding) contract."

On 21 June 2006 jurors found club shareholders David Morris and John McFarlane not guilty of conspiracy to blackmail, false imprisonment and gun possession ^[2]. On 28 June Judge Charles Byers told the jury to clear the other men, on account that in the prosecution's case, Mr Morris had been the "essential core" of the blackmail plot and without him the case could not stand. The other defendants who denied all charges - and were all found not guilty - were: Andy Baker, 40, from North Petherton, Somerset; Aaron Lacey, 36, from Watford; David Davenport, 38, from Buckinghamshire; and Michael Reynolds, 45, from north London ^[3]. Daniel Morris (David's brother) had disappeared before the trial, and a European warrant is still outstanding for his arrest. is the 172nd day of the year (173rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 179th day of the year (180th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... North Petherton is a small town in Somerset, England, situated on the edge of the eastern foothills of the Quantocks, and close to the edge of the Somerset Levels. ... This article is about the county of Somerset in England. ... Watford is a town and district in Hertfordshire, United Kingdom, situated 34 km (21 miles) northwest of London and within the bounds of the M25 motorway. ... Buckinghamshire (abbreviated Bucks) is one of the home counties in South East England. ...

After the trial

Soon after the alleged incident, Paladini, backed by several friends and fellow investors - including Brazilian World Cup winner Dunga and two Monaco-based companies - ousted chairman Bill Power shortly after the incident. Dunga (born Carlos Caetano Bledorn Verri on October 31, 1963 in Ijuí, Rio Grande do Sul) is a Brazilian former football defensive midfielder, of Italian and German descent, and a World Champion for Brazil in the 1994 World Cup. ...

It was then alleged in the press that Paladini was using QPR to line the pockets of various agent friends with deals that the club cannot afford. Typical is the suggestion that the acquisition of Marc Nygaard, on a free transfer from Brescia Calcio, resulted in a £60,000 payment to agent Brian Hassell. It is also claimed that £40,000 was paid to Mel Eves, a Midlands-based, for the transfer of Ian Evatt ^[4]. Marc Nygaard, born 1 September 1976, is an Danish professional footballer who plays for QPR. External links Marc Nygaard career stats at Soccerbase Categories: | | | | ... Brescia Calcio is a football club based in Brescia, Lombardy. ... Ian Evatt, born 19th November, 1981, is an English professional footballer who plays for QPR. He is currently on loan at Blackpool. ...

In February 2006, QPR's highly-rated manager Ian Holloway was placed on gardening leave after a series of rows with Paladini, allegedly over Holloway's interest in the vacant managerial post at Leicester City. It emerged that Paladini had brought in players without consultation with the manager, including Mauro Milanese and Dean Sturridge. During the trial Paladini had been asked by David Morris's barrister, Jim Sturman QC: "Did you ever say to manager Ian Holloway that you would kill him?" Paladini replied: "In a funny way, yes, but it didn't mean anything at all." Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Ian Scott Holloway (born 12 March 1963 in Kingswood, Bristol) is an English former professional football midfielder. ... Leicester City F.C., nicknamed the Foxes, are an English football team, playing in the Football League Championship. ... Mauro Milanese, born 17th September, 1971, is an Italian professional footballer who plays for QPR. External links Mauro Milanese career stats at Soccerbase Categories: | | | | ... Dean Sturridge (born July 26, 1973 in Birmingham, England) is a football player at Queens Park Rangers. ...

Holloway was allowed to join Plymouth Argyle in June 2006, while QPR later appointed as John Gregory manager. Plymouth Argyle Football Club (commonly known as the Pilgrims, the Greens, Langers Army, the Green Army or simply Argyle) are an English football team, playing in the Championship league. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... John Charles Gregory (born November 5, 1954 in Scunthorpe) is a former player and football manager of Plymouth Argyle, Portsmouth F.C., Aston Villa, Derby County and other clubs. ...

Various statements made by Paladini during his three years at QPR can be found at QPR Report

References

1. ^ http://www.queensparkrangersfc.com/newsnow/may04.htm
2. ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/5099000.stm
3. ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/5124508.stm
4. ^ http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,435-1804566,00.html