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Arsenal face FIFA investigation


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Arsenal face Fifa investigation

By Meirion Jones

Senior Producer, BBC Newsnight

 

 

 

 

 

Fifa has launched a probe into whether Arsenal have broken regulations which may leave the club exposed to possible expulsion from the Champions League.

BBC Newsnight has learnt that a police probe in Belgium has concluded Arsenal made secret payments of £1m to Beveren.

 

Arsenal have admitted providing a loan to Beveren, but say they have never had a controlling influence over the club.

 

Fifa is investigating whether Arsenal have breached rules governing fair play and conflict of interest.

 

It was a mystery payment of one million pounds to an obscure Belgian football club in 2001 which sparked off a money-laundering investigation.

 

 

A company with no name wanted to invest a million pounds in the club. We thought it rather bizarre

Christian du Four, Investigating Magistrate

 

The club, Beveren, was in desperate financial straits and they refused to say where the cash had come from.

Fog of secrecy

 

Christian du Four, the Investigating Magistrate in the Flemish town of Dendermonde, told Newsnight, "A company with no name wanted to invest a million pounds in the club. We thought it rather bizarre."

 

At the same time the team threw out most of its Belgian players and replaced them with unknowns from an academy in Ivory Coast, West Africa. Belgian police suspected the fog of secrecy was hiding mafia involvement.

 

Instead after an investigation they have told Newsnight that they found Arsenal's secret hand behind the money.

 

 

Arsenal has a public deal with Beveren to play friendly matches and loan players but Arsenal repeatedly denied that they put money into the club.

Arsenal now admit that they did loan money, indirectly, to Beveren. An Arsenal spokesman said "Arsenal confirms that it has never owned, directly or indirectly, any shares in Beveren or had any power whatsoever to influence its management or administration. It did in 2001 provide funds of 1,570,703 euros by way of loan to a member of the consortium to assist in stabilising the finances of Beveren."

 

Reading from his investigation, Mr Du Four said: "Jean Marc Guillou who is the manager of Beveren has very close contacts with Arsene Wenger the coach of Arsenal and that is why they went ahead with the contract."

 

Rules

 

He then highlighted one contract signed by Arsenal Vice-Chairman David Dein. The contract (Document :rolleyes: shows Dein agreeing to advance 12 million Belgian francs (around £200,000) on behalf of Arsenal Football Club in an interest free loan to an associate of his called Raoul de Waele. The loan was to establish a company called Goal which would take over control of Beveren football club.

 

 

The loan and other money advanced by Arsenal would be repaid out of Goal's share of transfer profits. Du Four says that in all Arsenal put in £1m.

A director of Beveren, who did not wish to be identified, told Newsnight that in return for the £1m de Waele was given 50% control of Beveren and Guillou was given another 30%.

 

Fifa President Sepp Blatter told BBC Radio Five Live "Let Arsenal give the Football Association their report. It will be then be reported later to Fifa but for the time being I am not in a position to make any comments about what punishments or sanctions should be taken against a club."

 

If Arsenal secretly controlled another club, especially one such as Beveren who they bought Emmanuel Eboue from, they could be in breach of FIFA rules and could be heavily fined or even thrown out of the Champions League.

 

 

 

Story from BBC NEWS:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/prog...ght/5037494.stm

 

Published: 2006/06/01 15:42:02 GMT

 

© BBC MMVI

 

 

 

Please please PLEASE don't let Spurs get in the Champions League :lol:

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Hopefully David Dein will get turfed off the FA Board for bringing the game into disrepute too.

143805[/snapback]

 

What a disgrace eh.

 

No doubt about it. Could be worse though, could have told them he would punch them on the nose or something ....

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I still don't know how the hell they got way with the Graham payments which they knew about - Oh hang on yes I do - David Dein.

143811[/snapback]

 

 

True.

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Its always been an absolute disgrace that a prem chairman has a position of power in that country's football association. And lets be honest it would never have been allowed to happen and certainly not to continue unless he happened to be on the board of Arse/manu etc.

 

Had he been chairman of some midtable team he'd not be allowed to do it.

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Hopefully David Dein will get turfed off the FA Board for bringing the game into disrepute too.

143805[/snapback]

 

I think that'll happen after turkeys start voting for Christmas mate.

 

Wenger's best mate is the guy who runs the football academy in the Ivory Coast and sends all those players into the EU, Arsenal's into this big style.

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Arsenal Football Club is aware that BBC Newsnight is carrying a story this evening purporting to describe Arsenal's relationship with Belgian football club, Beveren.

 

Arsenal does not normally make public its agreements with third parties. However, Arsenal can confirm that it has had a technical relationship with Beveren since 2001. This relationship has a number of benefits to both clubs such as providing a platform to share coaching methods and techniques as well as facilitating the option of players being loaned between the clubs. For example, during the course of the relationship, Arsenal players David Grondin, Liam Chilvers, John Halls and Graham Stack all spent successful loan periods at Beveren as did Emmanuel Eboue, who played in a number of trial matches with Arsenal whilst contracted to Beveren. Such was the latter player's success, Arsenal subsequently signed Eboue on a permanent basis.

 

In addition, Arsenal confirms that it has never owned, directly or indirectly, any shares in Beveren or had any power whatsoever to influence its management or administration. It did in 2001 provide funds of 1,570,703 Euros by way of loan to a member of the consortium to assist in stabilising the finances of Beveren.

 

At no time has anyone at Arsenal been contacted by any regulatory or investigatory body with respect to its relationship with Beveren. Arsenal and all its staff have acted properly throughout, in accordance with all applicable rules and regulations, and in the best interests of Beveren, Arsenal and the broader footballing community.

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Its always been an absolute disgrace that a prem chairman has a position of power in that country's football association. And lets be honest it would never have been allowed to happen and certainly not to continue unless he happened to be on the board of Arse/manu etc.

 

Had he been chairman of some midtable team he'd not be allowed to do it.

143885[/snapback]

 

To be fair to Arsenal, Dein was elected by the other premiership clubs as their representative.

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Hmmm...on the edge of getting his club kicked out of europe.

 

And Steve Gibson reported as buying players for his club despite having no manager.

 

I think I'll settle for Fred saying he'll punch someone on the nose meself.

 

Canny few disappearing acts around here just now ...

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Hmmm...on the edge of getting his club kicked out of europe.

 

And Steve Gibson reported as buying players for his club despite having no manager.

 

I think I'll settle for Fred saying he'll punch someone on the nose meself.

 

Canny few disappearing acts around here just now ...

144226[/snapback]

 

:lol:

 

No one's rising to the bait because your argument is as weak as piss man. Do you seriously think we've all gone away to hide and contemplate how foolish we've been having a go at Shepherd? :lol:

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Hmmm...on the edge of getting his club kicked out of europe.

 

And Steve Gibson reported as buying players for his club despite having no manager.

 

I think I'll settle for Fred saying he'll punch someone on the nose meself.

 

Canny few disappearing acts around here just now ...

144226[/snapback]

 

:lol:

 

No one's rising to the bait because your argument is as weak as piss man. Do you seriously think we've all gone away to hide and contemplate how foolish we've been having a go at Shepherd? :rolleyes:

144264[/snapback]

 

 

hopefully :lol:

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Its always been an absolute disgrace that a prem chairman has a position of power in that country's football association. And lets be honest it would never have been allowed to happen and certainly not to continue unless he happened to be on the board of Arse/manu etc.

 

Had he been chairman of some midtable team he'd not be allowed to do it.

143885[/snapback]

 

To be fair to Arsenal, Dein was elected by the other premiership clubs as their representative.

143962[/snapback]

 

And replaced by Gill from Manu so now Fergie will be happy and Wenger pissed off!!!

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  • 3 weeks later...
Arsenal probe finds no evidence 

 

The Football Association has announced that it has not uncovered any evidence of wrongdoing by Arsenal in the club's relationship with Belgian side Beveren.

The BBC's Newsnight programme claimed Arsenal made illegal payments to Beveren, a charge the club denied.

 

Football's world governing body Fifa asked the FA to investigate, but it concluded the Gunners had not breached any FA or Premier League rules.

 

The material obtained during the FA's investigation has been sent to Fifa.

 

"As a result of our inquiries, we can confirm that we have not identified any evidence to suggest that Arsenal have breached any rules of the FA or the FA Premier League in relation to their dealings with Beveren," read an FA statement.

 

"In order to protect the integrity of matches and competitions, these rules prohibit clubs in the same competition from being owned, influenced or controlled by the same person or entity.

 

"In this case, the relevant competitions are the FA Cup and the FA Premier League. The rules also prevent a Premier League club from owning or controlling another Premier League or Football League club."

 

Newsnight revealed how Belgian police uncovered an investment into Beveren of £1m from an anonymous donor, which they subsequently concluded had been provided by Arsenal.

 

Arsenal admitted providing a loan to Beveren indirectly, but said they have never had a controlling influence over the Belgian club.

 

Premier League rules prohibit clubs making loans or owning shares but these rules do not apply to dealings with a club based outside of England.

 

The Gunners have an arrangement with the Belgium club to play friendly matches and loan players.

 

Ivory Coast defender Emmanuel Eboue moved to Arsenal following a successful spell with the Belgian team

 

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Hmmm...on the edge of getting his club kicked out of europe.

 

And Steve Gibson reported as buying players for his club despite having no manager.

 

I think I'll settle for Fred saying he'll punch someone on the nose meself.

 

Canny few disappearing acts around here just now ...

144226[/snapback]

 

so you're saying dein's actions makes shepherd less of a twat?

 

genius :(

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Fred is a nob. But! There are plenty of clubs who finish above us every year who have to settle with spending 3-4mil in the off season whilst we regularly splash out £20-30mil. For that I am grateful to him.

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Hmmm...on the edge of getting his club kicked out of europe.

 

And Steve Gibson reported as buying players for his club despite having no manager.

 

I think I'll settle for Fred saying he'll punch someone on the nose meself.

 

Canny few disappearing acts around here just now ...

144226[/snapback]

 

so you're saying dein's actions makes shepherd less of a twat?

 

genius :(

152637[/snapback]

 

Oh no, you're going to set him off again! Talk about poking the dragon in the eye...

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Fred is a nob. But! There are plenty of clubs who finish above us every year who have to settle with spending 3-4mil in the off season whilst we regularly splash out £20-30mil. For that I am grateful to him.

152804[/snapback]

 

:(

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