Allardyce under investigation after newspaper allegations

The Football Association wants further details of conversations Sam Allardyce held with undercover reporters after the emergence of video appearing to show the recently appointed England manager making a variety of controversial comments. An embarrassing Euro 2016 exit in the last-16 to Iceland led to Roy Hodgson and his coaching staff’s immediate departure, with Allardyce announced as successor in July. However, just 67 days after being appointed, the 61-year-old’s role with the Football Association is in question after the Daily Telegraph’s investigations team secretly filmed him. Allardyce met people who he thought were representatives of a Far East firm following his appointment to one of English football’s most coveted roles. He was captured appearing to tell reporters that it was “not a problem” getting around FA rules that stop third parties owning football players’ economic rights. The controversial practice was banned by the FA in 2008 due to concerns it compromised the integrity of the game, as the third party could profit whenever a player was sold. When asked about the rules, Allardyce was filmed on a hidden camera saying: “It’s not a problem.” He added an unnamed group had been “doing it for years” and “you can still get around it”, suggesting they employ the player’s agents to compensate for the fact they are no longer allowed to profit from each transfer directly. It is alleged by the paper a deal was struck with the England manager worth £400,000 for a series of speaking engagements in Singapore and Hong Kong. The FA has so far declined to comment on the allegations.

Sam Allardyce