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We add new stories to this website every now and again. We travel the world talking to current and former footballers, administrators, coaches, scouts, agents, and families. Often there are moments to share, and occasionally we run into some concerning surprises.
We add new stories to this website every now and again. We travel the world talking to current and former footballers, administrators, coaches, scouts, agents, and families. Often there are moments to share, and occasionally we run into some concerning surprises.
Football for Sale is the groundbreaking book showcasing 14 in-depth, curriculum-ready case studies from around the world, offering vital insights to guide current footballers, free agents, sports management professionals, and young aspiring youth academy footballers through the complex, and often murky, world of the modern game.
Football for Sale is the groundbreaking book showcasing 14 in-depth, curriculum-ready case studies from around the world, offering vital insights to guide current footballers, free agents, sports management professionals, and young aspiring youth academy footballers through the complex, and often murky, world of the modern game.
The Serie C club in Italy, 2023
CASE STUDY #1
SEVEN Red flags: player and Family Exploitation—Australian Bad Actor in Italy.
Jasper, 15yo, Serie C, Italy, 2023 (book extract)
CASE STUDY #1
SEVEN Red flags: player and Family Exploitation—Australian Bad Actor in Italy.
Jasper, 15yo, Serie C, Italy, 2023 (book extract)
BACK STORY
At 15, Jasper was at an elite football academy in England, dreaming of one day playing professionally in the Premier League. During the European summer transfer window, he was tracked down and invited to a professional Serie C, Italian third tier youth academy by an ‘agent’, Giovanni, who claimed to have extensive experience as a football administrator in Australia and as an agent in Italy. Giovanni had harassed Jasper's father on several occasions (first red flag) on the recommendation of a scout who had witnessed Jasper's abilities.
Despite limited information about the agent on the internet, and also being cautious of the unsolicited contact (second red flag), after several phone calls Jasper’s family decided to place trust in the agent due to his claimed connections in Australian and Italian football, and at the excitement of Jasper playing in a professional European league. The agent assured the family that the club was interested in Jasper for the U17 National Serie C squad, without the need for a trial (third red flag). The agent then coerced the family into moving to Italy to secure Jasper's place “... very quickly before we lose the opportunity!” (fourth red flag)
PROBLEM
After much deliberation, the family ultimately relocated to Italy, only to find that the club had not reached out upon their arrival (fifth red flag). The agent kept delaying the start of Jasper’s pre-season (sixth red flag), which resulted in mental anguish for the family. Had they made the right decision? The family eventually made their way to the club only to be met with an unsettling surprise—club officials had no idea of their arrival. Tension hung in the air as the agent handed over a cash payment to the club president (seventh and most obvious red flag). This payment, the family would later discover, came from the €6,000 Giovanni had charged them for “services rendered.” Jasper was reluctantly welcomed into the group.
What followed was a descent into a nightmare... order your copy of the book, Football for Sale, to continue reading.
CASE STUDY #2
CASE STUDY #2
Behind the Goalposts: How a Football Family Was Deceived.
JOHAN, 15yo, YOUTH ACADEMY, ENGLAND, 2022 (book extract)
Behind the Goalposts: How a Football Family Was Deceived.
JOHAN, 15yo, YOUTH ACADEMY, ENGLAND, 2022 (book extract)
This isn’t just a story about broken promises. It’s about family manipulation, stolen money, and trust sold to the highest bidder. Listen to Johan's story.
read Jasper's and Johan's stories in their entirety.
read Jasper's and Johan's stories in their entirety.
To read the full stories and learn how to avoid the same traps—including lessons from 12 additional cases studies from around the world—grab your copy of Football for Sale. Their stories are not isolated cases and more common than you think.
To read the full stories and learn how to avoid the same traps—including lessons from 12 additional cases studies from around the world—grab your copy of Football for Sale. Their stories are not isolated cases and more common than you think.
The book is now available online and through 45,000+ global retailers and libraries—giving rare, unfiltered access to the hidden realities of modern football. Or ask for it at your local bookstore or independent retailer. ISBN 979-12-210-9138-0.
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From Match-Fixing to Boardroom Deals: The Global Web of Football Corruption.
From Match-Fixing to Boardroom Deals: The Global Web of Football Corruption.
SWITZERLAND: Swiss Court Clears Blatter and Platini, Raising Fresh Questions About Accountability in Football.
SWITZERLAND: Swiss Court Clears Blatter and Platini, Raising Fresh Questions About Accountability in Football.
March 2025: Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini were cleared by a Swiss appeals court two and a half years after they were first acquitted of the offences. The court near Basel acquitted the pair of fraud over a 2M ₣S (Swiss franc) payment from FIFA to Platini in 2011. They claimed it was "unpaid compensation" for consultancy work completed a decade earlier. The case was seen as a defining test of accountability in the upper ranks of football governance. They walked away free.
China: 38 players Banned for life.
China: 38 players Banned for life.
September 2024: When 120 matches are fixed and 38 players banned for life, the problem isn't isolated—it's systemic. The Chinese FA has issued lifetime bans to 38 players and five club officials after a sweeping two-year probe into match-fixing and gambling. 41 clubs were implicated. Former China internationals Jin Jingdao and Gu Chao, and South Korea’s Son Jun-ho, are among those banned. This isn’t just a China story. Corruption is embedded in the global game—at every level.
Italy: under the table deals.
Italy: under the table deals.
May 2025: “Want to play in Serie C? That’ll be €30,000.” In Italy, former Napoli and Inter Milan player Salvatore Bagni has been caught on camera asking families for cash in exchange for their sons to join pro youth teams—no trial, no tape, just money. Bagni claims to have placed players at dozens of clubs for a fee, with directors aware of and complicit in the transactions. "Everyone owes me favours," he says. "Serie C is not a problem: I call, I ask a favour." When talent takes a back seat to brown envelopes, the entire development system is broken.
ENGLAND: Six players. Two elite academies. One growing scandal.
ENGLAND: Six players. Two elite academies. One growing scandal.
March 2025: Manchester United and Manchester City are under investigation after reports surfaced that six youth players may be competing under false identities—some potentially over-age. The Telegraph UK has published photographic evidence suggesting these players appeared in older age brackets in their home countries before joining the English academies (read more below).
England: FA Probes England Manager Over £400,000 Deal To Bypass Rules.
England: FA Probes England Manager Over £400,000 Deal To Bypass Rules.
September 2016: Sam Allardyce was filmed (BBC) advising undercover reporters on how to bypass FA rules on third-party ownership. Just weeks into his role as England manager, he discussed a £400,000 deal and criticised FA decisions. The incident triggered an FA investigation and raised serious questions about judgement and accountability in football.
SPAIN: Ex-SPANISH FA Boss Rubiales Denies Role in €40mIllion Scandal.
SPAIN: Ex-SPANISH FA Boss Rubiales Denies Role in €40mIllion Scandal.
April 2024: Former Spanish football chief Luis Rubiales denied financial misconduct after testifying in a corruption probe concerning Royal Spanish Football Federation contracts, including a €40 million-a-year Super Cup deal with Saudi Arabia. He faced monthly court appearances and restrictions on international travel pending the investigation.
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