‘FOUR ARRESTED IN FRANCE’ OVER £5M TAX PROBE
The physical work’s done, nowow I need to get my mind in shapepe AnthonyA Joshua’s big-fight diary REPORTS CLAIM FORMER NEWCASTLE STAR IS ANSWERING QUESTIONS ALONG WITH AGENTS Wenger needs some forwardforw thinking DerbyDe dilemma for boss
FORMER Newcastle midfielder Sylvain Marveaux was among four people arrested in France over the £5million football tax probe engulfing British clubs, it was reported today.
Sources close to the investigation that also involves West Ham said the 31-yearold was “answering questions”.
Marveaux signed a five-year deal with Newcastle in June 2011 and was finally released in May 2016.
During this period Marveaux was loaned to French side Guingamp, and is now with League 1 side Lorient.
In its coverage of those arrested in France, today’s Le Parisien newspaper writes: “According to our information, they are three players’ agents, as well as Lorient’s attacking midfielder Sylvain Marveaux, the former Newcastle player.”
The role of agents is the main focus of the investigation, according to sources on both side of the Channel.
Around 180 officers were involved in raids in the UK and France, with Britain’s HMRC saying it had “arrested several men working within the professional football industry for a suspected income tax and national insurance fraud. Investigators have searched a number of premises in the North-East and South-East of England and arrested men and also seized business records, financial records, computers and mobile phones. The French authorities are assisting the UK investigation, and have made arrests and several locations have been searched in France.”
Marveaux played only 38 games for Newcastle in four years, and when signing for Lorient he described his time in the Premier League as “a failure”.
Discussing Newcastle’s former manager Alan Pardew, he said: “I always tried to stay positive and make the maximum impact. At one time, my relationship with the coach was a little tough. So, I had to leave, that’s why I asked to go out on loan, including Guingamp.”
A source at Lorient today said Marveaux was suffering from a hamstring injury picked up two weeks ago during a game against Montpellier.
He said Marveaux was training by cycling indoors and was hoping to get back to full fitness. There was no comment on the legal allegations.
Beyond the four arrests in France, legal sources said there had been “10 raids of various locations” over the past week. In France it is reported that other clubs being investigated include Marseille.
Senior Marseille directors have been charged as part of the probe, with