Just hours after the sacking of manager Sam Allardyce, England’s Football Association (FA) are facing further turmoil with more allegations of corruption in the English game.
A report from the Daily Telegraph has claimed up to eight past and present Premier League, and two Championships managers have received “kick-backs” (third party payments) relating to player transfers.
All information was secretly collected by undercover reporters posing as Far Eastern businessmen, who met with agents, managers and club officials over the European summer.
The report documents the involvement of player agents Giuseppe ‘Pino’ Pagliara, Dax Price and Scott McGavey, who have revealed highly sensitive information regarding illicit payments accepted by current and former Premier League managers.
Daily Telegraph officials have agreed to hand over all relevant documents to the FA and also the police to allow the investigation to continue.
Here are some of the quotes as captured by the undercover reporters direct from the Daily Telegraph:
Manager 1
Ex-Premier League manager allegedly liked “bungs” in cash or deposited in a Swiss bank account. Pagliara said: “I can call [X] now and all it is with [X] is ‘How much, Pino? And will it be the same Swiss bank account?’”
Manager 2
“Ex-top flight manager has had “more backhanders than Wimbledon”. Pagliara said: “This is what I hate… the guy that used to need the money but he’s had so much now that all of a sudden he’s whiter than white.”
Manager 3
“After managing several British clubs, he was allegedly fired by one for having “his fingers in the till”. Pagliara said he would get involved if “you understand that when we do deals I have to have a carrier bag with some cash.”
Manager 4
“Pagliara said of this boss with Premier League experience: “We know him very, very well. We do a transfer, [X] has winked at us and said ‘Yeah, I want the player. Is there a little coffee for me, Pino?’ Yeah, course there is.”
Manager 5
“Ex-Premier League manager who, said Pagliara, would call him and say “here’s the number”, and give him details of a Swiss account. He said: “It was always numbered accounts.”
Manager 6
“A former player who now manages, he allegedly likes extra money to secure deals because he is not on a big salary at his club. Pagliara said: “[X] takes a few [inaudible] because he’s not being paid big money.”
Manager 7
“Ex-Premier League manager is another “we can put on the payroll”. If a player was transferred for £10m, “we’ll turn round to [X] and say, listen, if you take this player we’ll look after you. OK? OK, boom.”
Manager 8
Agent Dax Price said this long-serving manager would pick three trusted players and tell them he was paying them an extra £8,000 per month, on condition that they paid him £4,000 per month each.
The outcome of this case is sure to be interesting viewing in the foreseeable future.
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