This documentary reveals how English football clubs can be bought by convicted criminals and become vehicles to launder dirty money. The football dealmakers – who link foreign buyers with British football clubs – tell undercover reporters how they can hide a criminal’s money and identity behind offshore trusts and use “dirty tricks” to deceive the football authorities. Chris Samuelson, an offshore finance expert and Keith Hunter, a former Scotland Yard detective, also offer our fictitious criminal a new identity by purchasing an EU passport for 10m euro. Our undercover reporters reach the brink of striking a deal for the criminal investor to buy Derby County FC, one of England’s oldest football clubs. The Men who Sell Football is the prequel to the Bafta-nominated documentary, The Cyprus Papers Undercover, released in October 2020. Samuelson’s lawyers say that he was never told about Mr X’s criminal convictions. Had he known, he would have ended discussions immediately. Hunter says that he strongly disputes most of our findings.
@AJIUnit
#SellingFootball
Find more about our content at ajiunit.com If you want to provide a tip on serious wrongdoing and corruption, contact the Investigative Unit on +974 5080 0207 (WhatsApp/Signal), or find other ways to reach out on aljazeera.com/tips.
Thank you so much Al Jazeera for this wonderful content
Anyone being charged or convicted so far?
Brilliant journalism
How is this not viral and all over the news?
this kinda of corruption is killing africa allover
Can younname one billionaire or multi-millionaire that isn’t a scumbag
what I’ve learned after watching this, is that you can’t be that rich from legitimate ways!
A well prepared investigative report. Great Job AJI.
Interesting……
There’s not enough bullets on this planet, that would need to end up through heads like these guys’ ones.
I won’t listen to motivational speeches from business men again.
Who’s here after The Big 6ix?
Impressive documentary, one of the best in the business.
Great video
6:41 Absolute rubbish! If you have been convicted of bribery in China, it just means the CCP decided to convict you for bribery. It does not mean there was actual bribery.
Amercans🙄🙄
Investigative journalist are just sneaky scum
Hey jazeera wht abt investigating PSG’s noble underground dealings with uefa, world cup scandal, and human rights abuses in name of sportswashing in your dear country? No please don’t do that.
Snitching is not good, leave that poor old bloke alone. Is he still In the line of business, just asking for a friend.
Samuelson is out of business
Football has been dead ever since the antifa players started kneeling.
Racismo
@Wakili Nathan Njoroge I agree, those racists need to stop dragging race and politics into our sports games. They can make statements to the press after the game if they want to send a message or flex their free speech. Kneeling for the anthem is a disgrace to the country and the sport.
I support flag burning, that’s how much I support the freedom of speech. But politicizing the anthem is downright dirty.
In the last decade, as a neutral I think Leicester has done a decent job to better the club at its roots more than any other top flight clubs in England.
Business
This is award winning investigative journalism👍
very good documentary, is there a reason you didnt mention middle east investors ?
And people think the British are sophisticated…
Hope Leon Bailey Leaves B4 stuff get outta hand
I’m just imagining the Chinese police/intelligence officers taking notes
EUROPE MORE CORRUPT THAN AFRICA. WE ALL KNOW IT
In January 2018, a Taliban suicide bomber killed over 100 people in Kabul using a bomb in an ambulance.
By 2020, after the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) had lost almost all of its conquered territory and committed less terrorist acts, the global think tank called the Institute for Economics & Peace considered the Taliban to have overtaken ISIL as the most dangerous terrorist group in the world due to their recent campaigns for territorial expansion.
During May and June 2021, nearly 800 Afghan civilians were killed and over 1,600 others wounded due to the attacks, the highest number for those two months since the United Nations began systematically documenting Afghan casualties in 2009.
In 2020, after the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) had lost almost all of its conquered territory and committed less terrorist acts, the global think tank called the Institute for Economics & Peace considered the Taliban to have overtaken ISIL as the most dangerous terrorist group in the world due to their recent campaigns for territorial expansion.
In January 2018, a Taliban suicide bomber killed over 100 people in Kabul using a bomb in an ambulance.
Sports and anger is odd. Regardless where it’s based. The weird intense stupid uproar of losing or winning is the most bizzare thing I’ve seen in my life. Is this what one calls sheep’s? Or what is it, just an overwhelming emotional experience from an individual kicking a ball
The real question is how did this guy survive in the business this long if he spills info about his work and clients that generously? ? ?
THIS^^^^
It’s a shame it’s built on the client being wanted by China. Calling their leader names is enough to be given all sorts of charges.
I heard Indian xD
t r a s h as usual al jazeera
Pecunia non olet
Look at them! all the idiots ruining their lives over a stupid game! I spit on u all u sad bunch of guttersnipes! They get rich while u get stabbed! Well done stupids!
So the Scotland Yard thingy guy actually states he provides Technical Surveillance Counter Measures actually, as oppposed to “Technical Surveillance” as your narator put it. Now this piece is so great, shame to ruin it with mishaps like these
BBC … Guys let’s talk about middle East or India or south america or something else pls
football is for noobs
Now do a video about how Qatar bought the World Cup 😊
I just hope every football fan watches this program, as money laundering becomes bigger than the original crime to make such funds available to crooked business people the world over, there will be sharks and snakes everywhere to take there cut of a profit out of it, football could become just like boxing, big events with 100s of millions at stake, and satellite tv company’s like sky & BT not bidding for big pay per view events as in many cases the original money is the process of crime and the TV companies are facilitating money laundering… English football is no different and these facilitators and football agents all need to be more closely examined.
why al jazeera doing all this investigesions about football before QATAR world cup 😏
all the j e w s mentioned here. lol
In India also they flash 11000 crore to our younger brother name Damankhraw Nengnong (footballer)as fake account.
They change the location of the user device of the china made device in India.
Al Jazeera ❤👏💪🎩
This is excellent work! More of investigative work like this on various sectors of the world needs to be done.
Nice.. Looks like a continuation of the Cyprus Papers.
When is al-jazeera investigating on psg.
investigations ,by journalists ,do not follow rule of law ,to collect data
Now have a better understanding of the murky world of football club ownership.
It’s truly saddening to see the less views at the bottom of the video. However those who work with integrity to ensure transparency worldwide without the hope of reward is what true media is about. And on those regards I take a bow to Al Jazeera’s spectacular work!
Half a million views in 2 weeks on a documentary is not bad…
“Can you hear us” 😅…loud and clear sir 😅
No mention of the Gambling/Betting sites rigging games…
do they rig ufc fights too? I’ve heard ufc fights aren’t rigged.
?
Al Jazeera is Elite!
Even after this investigation nothing will happen to him… Weird
You brought journalism back to its glory days. Thank you.
DOWNLOAD THE VIDEO AND SAVE IT.
I don’t think that this video is going to be here for
Long!!!!
I really don’t think fans care so long as their team wins
What does this piece mean for Samuelson??
The irony of a company funded by Qatar talking about “selling football” LOL
Obviously all the Media have an editorial line. They will never produce reports that will incriminate the owners of the Media, that’s normal. What are you complaining about
Blatter the man who sold the world cup bid to Qatar. Period.
Fool is dropping names like an amateur! Hard to imagine he had been at this for decades!!
this happened in the US with baseball
This interview just reinforce that
every soul is for sell. Some are cheaper and some are expensive. In end the end, there is no such thing as honest person. Only God can save you when you repent of your sins.
I‘m sure arab familys also bought football clubs in england Not in the nicest way. But I wonder why this as an arabic television network only tells us something about the russians? Makes me a little suspicious. But overall a great documentary.
Great work Al-Jazeera!
keep it up!
Mr X plays the long game
Anyone know the title of the music/song in the end of this great documentary?
Nothings gonna happen to them anyways
Superb journalism. However, what did the EFL say to all of this?
Amazing how much they spill the beans telling you all the past people they worked with and they are so trusting not checking for recording devices..even joking about it .idiot’s..
If these guys go free from criminal cases you know that corruption is deep in the government
These reporters should win the Pulitzer
*standing applause*
Why hasn’t this been thr talk of the town ?
Why is this so underrated?
This is master piece of work you guys have done and achieved our heartfelt gratitude.
Keep up the good work.
One of these days, these undercover reporters are going to get murdered. Playing with fire as they say. Wish they could expose the corrupted governments in the US and EU instead of focusing on small fishes…
This is just fantastic.. strengthens my belief about corruption in football all along
Great documentary, I’ll be waiting now for a documentary about Qatar 2022…oh wait…
What’s that there. Oh it’s called Chelsea. Why can’t I buy that. You can yes then you won’t have to catch a bus around London for an hour oh ok I’ll buy that one then. 4/5 days later he owned it Just to money laundering his brass outta one country to another !! It’s f king criminal all of it ! So he wanted Tottenham but he would have to catch a bud for an hour to get there oh and he couldn’t land his helicopter either 😂 Chelsea fans don’t pretend to yourselves he loves your club. It does s purpose for him nothing else and it’s up for sale if you’ve got enough brass. The fans of Chelsea should get together and raise the money some how and get it owned by the fans who love the club !!
You can see how it’s all bent !! Esp the so called top 6. They have no love for the game nor the club they’ve bought. The fans of these clubs should get a fund going only takes £10 from each fan and you own the club. Do it get these scums outta our game n fast esp Man U and Chelsea , and Liverpool !!
What happened to the people involved in this? Did they got punished?
Isn’t it funny how every single one of them denies everything thrown at them !! So basically what mr gobshight was saying is it don’t matter who it is bent crocked etc he can get him the ownership by change of name and bullshit trust funds not showing the true owners. So the ball is now in your court EFL and PREM LEAGUE I think you have enough information there to get at least 5/6 people arrested and get that little shark put behind bars for a long time. The Cypriots have already acted by arresting 2 an MP and another so the trail won’t be hard to follow who sent them there who was working with them etc. Let’s see some arrests please and ASAP you have enough information there to get 5/6 behind bars immediately. It’s amazing what a few quid can do , bent names. Bullshit false trusts , clubs hiding the true owners , bugging phones , money laundering I hope he is brought in for questioning immediately there’s not a lot of work to be done really he s sat there spouting how it’s all done and who by for the last hour . ACT NOW EFL and PREM get these fuking scumbags out of our game fast This prob happens in a lot of countries but more so the premier league with the income it generates
Of course mr Abramovich denies totally everything. He will be telling you he loves Chelsea next ha 😂
We ll bug their phones see who they’ve been talking to. Dig up some dirt find out if they have a mistress etc. Get these fukers behind bars and out of the game we all love. Please
The best investigative report I have seen in a long time.
Crazy how sure these people are of themselves. Even the private investigator didn’t know whats going on. Love the situation in the restaurant where they are talking about being bugged. This had to take some great nerves and acting on the side of the journalists.
Great work and well done Al Jazeera.
Also, I would be a smarter criminal definately.
Haha and in the end nobody has met, talked to or even knows anyone.
It’s a great journalistic work you have here.
Never Forgive, Never Forget.
Justice for Harry Dunn.
I’d love to see Roman’s loan accounts at Chelsea. How do they ‘write off” Roman’s loans? Assume that Roman does not want his money back
The name drops are so surreal…. And for a wheeler dealer who has not seen the money yet.
they all have something in common, they belong to the unspoken community!
As a Aston Villa fan and Cypriot in origin I took extra interest in this documentary. As for the Cypriot govt property owners who sell property to rich suspect foreigners along with passports as the demonstraters called them are traitors. They should have all assets taken and citizenship revoked exile them to Russia where the can hang out with most of their mates who they gave false passports. Great journalism!
Felt like a documentary of 2 ” A star” scammers who told the investigative journalist (new target/buyers) lies and fiction to get them onboard. Still good journalism but what aspect of all this is true and untrue from the mouth of such dubious entities loool.. cos all I see is bragging and boasting lool like they knew they were being filmed. Well probably why this documentary ain’t so viral.
Very brave and interesting and explains a lot of what goes on in the real world football and who are the power players
This makes sense why some people say the richest person is not the one Forbes lists.