Matt Scott, The Guardian, Thursday October 9 2008
The Football Association has never interviewed Chelsea's director of youth football development, Frank Arnesen, about the allegations made in Panorama's football exposé fully two years ago.
The FA and the Premier League announced a joint investigation in September 2006 into claims made in Undercover: Football's Dirty Secrets. The footage included a discussion between Arnesen and the agent Peter Harrison about Middlesbrough's England youth midfielder, Nathan Porritt, which was deemed to constitute a possible illegal approach. But despite the FA receiving the footage, Arnesen has never been called to explain himself.
The FA told this column a month ago that the investigation was "ongoing" but since then no statement has been issued, leaving a stain on the former Denmark midfielder's reputation.
However, Leeds United's chief executive, Shaun Harvey, challenged Chelsea over their youth recruitment policy yesterday, seizing the chance to put his question after Arnesen spoke to the Leaders in Football conference about buying and developing talent. Harvey pointedly asked after the speech if tightened Uefa rules would see Chelsea "change their transfer policy". Leeds lost the youngsters Michael Woods and Tom Taiwo before Chelsea settled out of court for £5m in 2006
The Football Association has never interviewed Chelsea's director of youth football development, Frank Arnesen, about the allegations made in Panorama's football exposé fully two years ago.
The FA and the Premier League announced a joint investigation in September 2006 into claims made in Undercover: Football's Dirty Secrets. The footage included a discussion between Arnesen and the agent Peter Harrison about Middlesbrough's England youth midfielder, Nathan Porritt, which was deemed to constitute a possible illegal approach. But despite the FA receiving the footage, Arnesen has never been called to explain himself.
The FA told this column a month ago that the investigation was "ongoing" but since then no statement has been issued, leaving a stain on the former Denmark midfielder's reputation.
However, Leeds United's chief executive, Shaun Harvey, challenged Chelsea over their youth recruitment policy yesterday, seizing the chance to put his question after Arnesen spoke to the Leaders in Football conference about buying and developing talent. Harvey pointedly asked after the speech if tightened Uefa rules would see Chelsea "change their transfer policy". Leeds lost the youngsters Michael Woods and Tom Taiwo before Chelsea settled out of court for £5m in 2006
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