Where's the evidence? After Leeds and Barnsley, which other clubs face corruption claims?

The League Managers Association has accused The Daily Telegraph of delaying the start of a full investigation into the newspaper's allegations of corruption in the game.
Former England boss Sam Allardyce has been the highest profile casualty of this week's allegationsFormer England boss Sam Allardyce has been the highest profile casualty of this week's allegations
Former England boss Sam Allardyce has been the highest profile casualty of this week's allegations

The newspaper has published several serious allegations over the last three days, including claims that 10 unnamed managers have taken bribes in transfer deals.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

In a written statement, the LMA said it remained “extremely concerned” about the reported corruption but the investigation desired by all of football’s main stakeholders was “very disappointingly” being held by the Telegraph’s failure to provide them with its evidence.

The Telegraph’s undercover investigation has already forced Sam Allardyce to step down as England manager following indiscreet remarks he made about the Football Association’s transfer rules and his predecessor Roy Hodgson.

And there are now wide calls for an independent inquiry into the allegations that 10 unnamed managers who have worked in England’s top two divisions have taken bribes, as well as further claims of conflicts of interest and corruption against Leeds owner Massimo Cellino, QPR manager Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Barnsley assistant manager Tommy Wright.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

All those who have been named by the newspaper so far have denied any wrongdoing.

Southampton chairman Ralph Krueger has revealed his dismay at the current allegations and is calling for tighter regulation of player transfers.

The 57-year-old Canadian told ESPN that this week’s reports had “shocked” and “upset” the Saints board.

But Krueger said the Premier League club’s recent success has been built on “honest and open” values and he now hoped that the rest of football would follow suit.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“We’ve been a club that’s been driving, wanting to get control of the evolving agent world around us and we believe we’re going to have ears now,” said Krueger, a former ice hockey player who went on to coach Switzerland and the National Hockey League’s Edmonton Oilers.

“We’re going to use this, for sure, as a club, to fight for change and to fight for more regulation.

“We are all for regulation, and we are one of the most disciplined clubs in English football in terms of the way we deal with agents and youth academy players.”

Krueger is currently on a month’s sabbatical while he coaches Team Europe at the World Cup of Hockey in Canada but said pushing for changes to the transfer system would be “absolutely top of the agenda” when he returns to England next week.