Sam Allardyce exposed in undercover corruption probe
The England manager was filmed as part of an undercover investigation into corruption in British football and caught negotiating a £400,000 contract to help investors from the Far East avoid regulations banning third-party ownership.
England manager Sam Allardyce has been caught by undercover reporters offering advice to agents on how to get around FA laws on third party ownership and negotiating a £400,000 a year contract to advise potential investors in the Far East.
Allardyce claimed that bypassing FA rules was 'no problem'
The report, published on Monday night by the Daily Telegraph, features a video showing Allardyce talking to journalists posing as investors and telling them that bypassing the FA’s rules, which ban third party ownership, was “no problem.”
Allardyce was filmed offering his services to Far East investors, proposing that he travel out to “Hong Kong or Singapore, staying in a hotel, meeting these people, doing a keynote speech, travelling back either two days later or one day later. You guys set the agenda.”
A potential conflict of interests
If the recently-appointed England manager were to enter into a paid agreement it could represent a conflict of interests as he could be considered to be employed by a company whose clients could benefit from preferential treatment.
Allardyce claimed that he knew of a number of agents who were “doing it all the time” and that it was still possible to work with third party ownership in “all of South America, Portugal, Spain, Belgium and all of Africa.” He also alleged that West Ham striker Enner Valencia had joined West Ham in 2014 in a deal involving third party owners.
Allardyce: The FA is all about making money
The undercover report also exposed Allardyce criticising the FA - his current employers - and his predecessor Roy Hodgson.
“[The FA ] are all about making money, aren’t they?” he said. “They stupidly spent £870 million on Wembley and they’re still paying that debt off. If they’d built it anywhere else it would have cost about £400 million.
Hodgson would send everyone to sleep, said Allardyce
“The players let him [Hodgson] down in the end. I think he was too indecisive. Cast a bit of anxiety over to the players maybe… he just collapsed,” he added.
He also mocked his public speaking skills: “He’d send them all to sleep, Roy. Woy. He hasn’t got the personality for it.”
Allardyce was also caught suggesting that players who don’t play regularly for their club shouldn’t play for England.
“If they don’t play? Can’t play them then. Joe Hart, Jack Wilshere on the bench for Arsenal. Oxlade-Chamberlain on the bench. When they’re not playing for the club, they’re just short of match practice.”