Police launch inquiry after Telegraph corruption probe

Joe Williams

A criminal investigation has been opened into a single suspected case of bribery following the Daily Telegraph’s investigation into alleged corruption in football.

City of London Police made the announcement on Friday and in a statement said no arrests had been made.

“Detectives from the City of London Police Economic Crime Directorate have reviewed material gathered by a recent Daily Telegraph investigation into suspected corruption in football,” said the statement.

“This review of the material has concluded and the decision has been taken to begin a criminal investigation into a single suspected offence of bribery.”

In September, the newspaper published a series of stories about alleged corruption in football that included a claim that eight current or former Premier League managers have accepted bribes in transfer deals.

But the most high profile story centred on former England manager Sam Allardyce allegedly offering advice to a group of fictitious foreign investors on how to circumvent rules on the third-party ownership of players, a practice that is now banned worldwide.

Allardyce has strongly denied any wrongdoing but the controversy surrounding the newspaper sting, and some other indiscreet remarks that were caught by the undercover reporters on a hidden camera, cost him his job with the national team after just 67 days.

But when asked if Allardyce is the subject of the investigation, a City of London Police spokesman confirmed that the 62-year-old Englishman has received a letter that states he is not being investigated.

Allardyce said in a statement: “I welcome today’s confirmation from City of London Police that I will not be the subject of a police investigation. I was always confident that this would be the case as there was no evidence against me. I now ask that the Football Association deals with this matter as quickly as possible.

“I would like to thank my friends and family who have stood by me during this difficult period. The position of England head coach is the pinnacle of any English manager’s career and it was my dream job. While I am sad that my tenure came to an end early, I am nonetheless proud to have been chosen to manage the England football team and hope that today’s confirmation from the police will give me the opportunity to move on.”