ENGLISH football is bracing itself for its own corruption
scandal after Premiership investigators confirmed they have
evidence of illicit transfers involving several top-flight
clubs.
The stark news will send shock waves through the domestic game less
than 48 hours after Italy's match-fixing scandal saw leading Serie
A sides Juventus, Fiorentina, Lazio and AC Milan severely
punished.
Here, a team of specialist bung-busters headed by former Met
Police chief Lord Stevens has highlighted a series of
highly-questionable Premier League transfers.
Now they want the green light to go further and grill the clubs,
players and agents involved in those "dodgy deals" in a bid to
bring them to justice.
And the investigators will enjoy unprecedented powers in their
search for the truth.
Money
They will be able to demand home, office and mobile phone records,
and personal bank accounts in an effort to find out who paid and
who received the money which allegedly "went missing" in the
deals.
That could then lead to a number of high-profile cases being
brought against some of the game's biggest clubs and biggest names
a shameful episode to rival the match-fixing sensation in
Italy.
Nothing will happen for a couple of months because Lord Stevens'
team will not officially present their interim report to the
Premier League until September.
But inside sources say the report will provide enough evidence to
convince the Premier League there are serious causes for concern in
several high-profile moves.
It will also stress the bung-busters are keen to zero in on the
biggest cases in a bid to bring charges against anyone responsible
for flouting the Premiership's strict rules on transfers by making
illegal payments.
Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore sanctioned the
on-going inquiry into all transfers made since January 2004.
Scudamore looks sure to agree, despite possible resistance and
reluctance from club chairmen who may be concerned about the
consequences for their teams.
Bungs
An insider said: "What is the point of setting up an inquiry into
allegations of illegal payments and illicit transfers if you don't
follow the evidence and go all the way with it?
"Lord Stevens' team are sure to carry on this investigation, and a
lot of people should be very uneasy about that."
A Premiership spokesman said: "We will receive Lord Stevens'
initial report in September and examine it carefully.
"It was always going to be the case the inquiry would identify
transfers they would like to look at in more detail."
Scudamore announced the inquiry into alleged transfer
irregularities in March, shortly after News of the World published
comments by then England boss Sven Goran Eriksson about corruption
in the Premier League.
Eriksson claimed the Premiership had a "bungs" culture and he knew
of three clubs where illegal payments were paid, including to a
boss.
http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/story_pages/sport/sport1.shtml
