Officials at Fredrikstad Football Club (FFK) admitted that a police raid on its headquarters Tuesday morning was very bad publicity, tarnishing the image of both FFK and the sport in general.
The raid came just a week after the offices of two other top Norwegian clubs, Vålerenga and Stabæk, were raided and club officials called in for questioning by police in Oslo and Bærum. And once again the issue involved money and the employment terms of a player.
Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK) reported that two former FFK officials were arrested, the ex-sports director for FFK Sport AS, Morgan Andersen, and former club chairman Bjørn Jensen. Andersen was also involved in the controversy a few years ago surrounding the transfers of top player John Obi Mikel from Oslo club Lyn to Manchester United and Chelsea.
This time Norwegian tax authorities suspect that former Fredrikstad player Raio Piiroja from Estonia was paid more than his contract indicated, and that money was sent to his bank account in Estonia, without being taxed in Norway, for alleged scouting work carried out through the firm acting as his agent. Andersen and Jensen were tied to Piiroja’s contract signing. Tax authorities have filed charges and called them “serious.”
Current Fredrikstad officials cooperated with the police as they seized documents and archives material. FFK leader Svein Johannessen was clearly shaken by the raid and the charges, telling NRK that “this clearly mars our image.”
Views and News staff
