QPR release 58-word statement as Ilias Chair sent jail term update

QPR will carry out its own 'disciplinary procedures' after Ilias Chair has had his Belgian prison sentence reduced after being found guilty of assault.

The winger must now serve 150 hours of community service and pay a fine of €1,600, as per talkSPORT. Chair had initially been sentenced to a year in prison after being convicted in February by a Belgian court for breaking a lorry driver's skull with a rock.

The incident happened following an altercation on a kayaking trip in northern France with the Championship star claiming he was defending his family. QPR stood by Chair after the sentence was first passed with the 26-year-old continuing to play for Marti Cifuentes' side as they battled relegation.

Reacting to the changed sentence today, QPR released a statement which read: "The club takes note of the decision by the Belgian judiciary concerning our player, Ilias Chair. Queens Park Rangers Football Club expects its staff and players to conduct themselves in an exemplary fashion at all times.

"The club will now carry out its own disciplinary procedures, which will include reminding the player of his responsibilities at all times."

Chair had initially appealed the year-long prison sentence and talkSPORT adds that 'his criminal conviction has now been deemed a misdemeanour after a deal was reached with prosecutors'.

When news of the conviction first came to light earlier this year, QPR released a statement saying they were 'in regular contact with Ilias Chair's legal team' and that the London outfit would not make any further comment until the legal proceeding had reached a conclusion.

The forward was a key man for QPR last season, scoring seven goals and picking up eight assists in 44 Championship appearances. Chair is a Morocco international player with 12 caps to his name but came through youth academies in Belgium, breaking through with Lierse.

Chair moved to QPR in 2017 and has gone on to make 236 appearances for the club in that time. The player agreed a new four-and-a-half-year deal with the R's in 2021, which is set to expire in 2025.