Queens Park Rangers fans were left sweating today as the Football League delayed making a decision over whether Flavio Briatore can continue as their co-owner.

A meeting of club chairmen in London decided that more information was needed before the League could decide if the millionaire Italian was a fit a proper person' to run the club.

Briatore's ban from Formula One in the wake of Crashgate was thought to have been enough to disqualify him from holding his position at Loftus Road.

League rules say that if anyone has been excluded from a sport by its controlling body, then they fail the fit and proper person test and are deemed unsuitable for involvement in the administration of a football club.

But following the meeting, during which legal representation was made on behalf of Briatore, the League said in a statement: “The Board conducted a comprehensive review of the situation and after considering the information presently available and in the interest of due process, the Board will seek responses from Mr Briatore before
commenting further.”

Briatore's lawyers are believed to have argued that he should not be kicked out of football while there is still a possibility that his exclusion from F1 could be challenged.
It is understood the FIA, motorsport's governing body, were also asked to provide evidence to the Football League.

The verdict on Briatore is crucial to Rangers because if he is banned, then his fellow owners, billionaires Bernie Ecclestone and Lakshmi Mittal, may also reconsider their futures at Loftus Road as it was the Italian who initially persuaded them to invest in the club.

QPR declined to make an official comment on the matter today but it is understood they will be seeking further clarification from the League over the coming days.

Today's meeting also failed to reach a conclusion over the futures of Notts County, who were taken over by Munto Finance, and Leeds United, owned by the Cayman Islands-registered Forward Sports Fund.

The statement added: “We are very grateful to Notts County for providing us with further
information in regard to their ownership structure.

“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 also Board noted recent allegations made about the ownership of Leeds. The League has written to the club seeking clarification.

“No further comment will be made on this matter until a response has been received.”