Belgian 2nd-division side implicated in corruption scandal
The corruption scandal rocking the football world has its latest wrinkle, after The Telegraph's investigation has implicated second-division Belgian side Oud-Heverlee Leuven and its chairman Jimmy Houtput.
Houtput, who met with Telegraph reporters posing as Far East interests, conceded that he would be willing to help circumvent FIFA's rules banning third-party involvement in transfers.
According to Houtput's scheme, his club would pose as the owner of a footballer's rights, while the player would actually be represented by third-party ownership, according to The Telegraph's latest revelations.
OHL would then receive a portion of the player's transfer fee once moved to a higher-profile club. Besides a cut of the sell-on fee, Houtput admits his club would benefit from an influx of talented footballers, even if only on a temporary basis.
Related: Allardyce sacked as England manager after sting revelations
FIFA introduced rules to prohibit the use of third-party interests in 2015, and the brunt of The Telegraph's 10-month investigations centres around parties trying to skirt around said rules.
England gaffer Sam Allardyce was the first individual implicated, while Southampton assistant Eric Black, Barnsley's second in command Tommy Wright, and Queens Park Rangers boss Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink have since been alleged in schemes to profit from the transfer.
Contentious Leeds United owner Massimo Cellino has also been accused of alleged involvement in a similar scheme. Leeds released a statement Wednesday denying the allegations.
In a call with Telegraph staffers on Aug. 26, Houtput described the terms of a deal that would empower the fictitious Far East interest to purchase footballers and receive 90 percent of their sell-on fees.
Houtput added that the players could then be "transferred to the club you want for the price you want." Pino Pagliara, an agent who was previously banned for match-fixing, organised the meeting between Houtput and the Far East firm.
Pagliara conceded that he wanted the players registered with OHL prior to a move to England.
During later discussion, Houtput expressed his concerns about the breach of rules, though he insisted that the footballer's rights could be covered by "sponsorship agreements."
"We cannot 100 per cent guarantee these things but we can just tell you by phone or by us that we are open that every euro that comes in from a transfer afterwards that it can go out to whoever you choose on the way that we choose on that day, on that moment. But we can’t put that on paper," Houtput told a Telegraph reporter over the phone.
He added, "As a professional club we are strongly regulated with a decent corporate governance where all corporate and football rules are followed. We will never break the TPO rules."
The controversy concerning Houtput and his second-tier side aligns with Allardyce's concessions, as the former Premier League gaffer was recorded suggesting the use of Belgian clubs as a conduit because of the country's lax rules about employing non-European Union nationals.
Related: Barnsley sacks assistant Tommy Wright amid corruption allegations