The Leeds United chairman Peter Ridsdale is to be questioned by the
Football Association today about the £18m transfer of Rio Ferdinand from
West Ham United to Elland Road.
Graham Bean, the FA's compliance officer who is responsible for investigating
any alleged financial irregularities within the game, is to quiz Ridsdale over
the £1.5m that Leeds paid to the Norwegian agent Rune Hauge for his role in
Ferdinand's transfer in November, 2000.
There was widespread concern within football after it was revealed last month
that Hauge was involved in the Ferdinand transfer.
The Norwegian agent was banned by Fifa in December 1995 for giving the
then Arsenal manager George Graham £425,000 after the transfer of two
players to the club.
Following revelations of Hauge's involvement in the transfer deal, an internal
inquiry by the Elland Road club cleared Ridsdale of any wrongdoing and
declared that no financial irregularities had taken place.
Bean, popularly known as the FA's 'bung-buster', will also be talking to a
number of other people within football about the Ferdinand transfer and is
keen to establish that no wrongdoing had taken place, although the FA will not
reveal any of the names who will actually be spoken to as part of the wider
investigation.
Following news that Leeds had paid £1.5m to Hauge, it was also revealed that
the former West Ham manager Harry Redknapp received £300,000 for his
role in the transfer of Ferdinand to Leeds.
Redknapp said the money was a gift from his chairman Terry Brown,
rewarding him for his management of the club.
According to reports, Hauge initially only asked for a 5% commission for
arranging the Ferdinand transfer but this was later increased to 10%.
Leeds also agreed to pay a further £1m to another agent involved in the
Ferdinand deal, Pina Zehavi.
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