Wenger opposes third-pary ownership, hopes Allardyce can clear his name

Record ID: 85222

  • Title: Wenger opposes third-pary ownership, hopes Allardyce can clear his name
  • Date: 27th September 2016
  • Summary: LONDON COLNEY, NEAR LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (SEPTEMBER 27, 2016) (REUTERS) ARSENAL MANAGER, ARSENE WENGER AND ARSENAL FORWARD, THEO WALCOTT ARRIVING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) ARSENAL MANAGER, ARSENE WENGER, SAYING: "Yes, third-party ownership should not be allowed. I fight against it for a long, long time that the clubs should all possess 100 percent of their players but I cannot tell you anything about this story (the allegations against Sam Allardyce) because I don't know anything about it." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (English) ARSENAL MANAGER, ARSENE WENGER, SAYING: "I can't tell you anything about that because I don't know really. I haven't even read the story and I wouldn't like to comment on that. It's too damageable and too heavy as a story you know, so I think you have to let Sam Allardyce to defend himself and just hope he will clear his name." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (English) ARSENAL MANAGER, ARSENE WENGER, SAYING: "I think when I work for my club I commit 100 percent to make every single decision for the good of my club. So I don't think we are too moralistic; we want everybody to work genuinely for his club and I think that's completely normal that the pressure is on everybody to do that in the right way. After that, you know that they say they come out but after it's not proven, it's not at the moment, it's only suggestions so we have to be very careful as well because we live in a society which is very quick always to accuse people without proving that they have done anything wrong so you have to give everybody the credit and Sam Allardyce as well until they are proven that they have done something wrong." JOURNALISTS AT END OF NEWS CONFERENCE NEWS CONFERENCE ENDING
  • Embargoed: 12th October 2016 13:34
  • Keywords: Arsenal Wenger Allardyce transfers third party ownership
  • Location: LONDON COLNEY, NEAR LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM
  • City: LONDON COLNEY, NEAR LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Topics: Soccer,Sport
  • Reuters ID: LVA00151CE43J
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: England manager Sam Allardyce has been caught up in a newspaper sting in which he is alleged to have met a bogus consortium of Far East businessmen seeking advice on the Premier League's billion pound transfer market.
    During meetings with undercover reporters from The Daily Telegraph, Allardyce is reported to talk about a deal in which he would offer advice on how to "get around" rules on signing players.
    The Telegraph report also alleged that Allardyce said he knew of agents who regularly broke the rules on third-party ownership of players.
    The English Football Association banned third-party ownership in 2008.
    When asked about the reports on Tuesday (September 27), Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said he had always opposed third-party ownership and hoped Allardyce would be able to clear his name.
    "Third-party ownership should not be allowed. I fight against it for a long, long time that the clubs should all possess 100 percent of their players but I cannot tell you anything about this story (the allegations against Sam Allardyce) because I don't know anything about it," Wenger said.
    "I can't tell you anything about that because I don't know really. I haven't even read the story and I wouldn't like to comment on that. It's too damageable and too heavy as a story you know, so I think you have to let Sam Allardyce to defend himself and just hope he will clear his name.
    "It's only suggestions so we have to be very careful as well because we live in a society which is very quick always to accuse people without proving that they have done anything wrong so you have to give everybody the credit and Sam Allardyce as well until they are proven that they have done something wrong."
    Reuters was unable to independently verify the report.
    An FA spokesman said: "We have asked The Daily Telegraph to provide us with the full facts in relation to this matter."
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