Having the Blues: Money Laundering in Professional Football

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Abstract

The central theme of this contribution is money laundering in professional football. First, it is clarified why the professional football sector is so appealing to persons and organisations for laundering their criminally acquired assets. Then it is examined how these risks have materialised in practice, based on two cases. The first case relates to an ongoing investigation into financial mismanagement within the Dutch football club FC Twente. The focus of this case study is on third-party ownership of football players and the lack of knowledge about the origins of investments. The second case is based on thorough investigative journalism into money laundering activities in the top of English football. This case is centred on the financial adventures of Birmingham FC. In both cases we will not only highlight the malpractices that took place, but we will also look for starting points to raise barriers against financial misconduct and criminal practices.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationContemporary Organized Crime.
Subtitle of host publicationDevelopments, Challenges and Responses.
EditorsHans Nelen, Dina Siegel
Place of PublicationCham
PublisherSpringer
Pages125-138
Number of pages14
ISBN (Print)978-3-319-55972-8
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 23 Aug 2017

Publication series

SeriesStudies of Organized Crime
Volume16
ISSN1571-5493

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