FIFA efterforsker Arsenal - Mulig udelukkelse fra Champions League

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FIFA har indledt en undersøgelse af om Arsenal har købt sig til indflydelse i belgiske Beveren. Kendes Arsenal skyldig, kan klubben smides ud af ChL.

Arsene Wenger ønsker sig så brændende at vinde Champions League med Arsenal. I år kom han tæt på, men næste år risikerer The Gunners at måtte se til fra sidelinien, selvom de via fjerdepladsen i Premier League er klar til kvalifikationen.

Arsenal risikerer nemlig at blive udelukket fra turneringen. FIFA har igangsat en undersøgelse af hvorvidt Arsenal i hemmelighed har købt sig til indflydelse i den belgiske klub Beveren. Det oplyser BBC Newsnight.

Kendes Arsenal skyldig vil det være et brud på FIFAs regler om fair play. I værste fald kan det betyde udelukkelse fra Champions League.

Tilbage i 2001 var Beveren tæt på at gå konkurs, men fik under mystiske omstændigheder tilført en million pund (ca. 11 millioner kroner). Beveren ville ikke oplyse hvor pengene kom fra, men ifølge det belgiske politi har Arsenal en finger med i spillet. Som modydelse for at have redet Beveren fra den truende konkurs skulle Arsenal have fået 50 procent kontrol med klubben, mens den daværende træner Jean Marc Guillou, der er en nær ven af Arsene Wenger også fik stor indflydelse i Beveren.

Efterfølgende blev Beverens belgiske spillere sat på porten. I stedet investerede klubben i en række ukendte spillere fra et fodboldakademi i Elfenbenskysten. En af de spillere var Emmanuel Eboué, som Arsenal siden har købt.

Arsenal indrømmer, at de lånte Beveren penge, men nægter sig skyldig i anklagerne om, at de købte sig til indflydelse i klubben.

http://www.bolddk.com/nyt/?vis=56679

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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 B) 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.

Emmanuel Eboue
Arsenal signed Emmanuel Eboue from Beveren for a reported £1.5m
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.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/newsnight/5037494.stm