Hasselbaink Involved In Telegraph Sting

To read the full article from the Daily Telegraph – Click Here.

The Daily Telegraph have this evening (September 28) reported that QPR boss Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink negotiated a fee of £55,000 to act as an ambassador for a sports company. The company themselves also wanted to sell the Dutchman and therefore Queens Park Rangers, players.

Hasselbaink was named as negotiating this fee in return for giving speeches to investors in the Far East over two meetings in August and September, the newspaper reports. This is something Hasselbaink has stated was ‘nothing unusual’.

Where the Telegraph has highlighted a conflict of interest, stems from the fact that they claim the Far East firm ‘wanted to become involved in the transfer of players’ – something Hasselbaink had ‘no objection to’ – this appears to be the crux of the wrong-doing involved in this report.

In Hasselbaink’s statement below – he denies that he would sign any player for Queens Park Rangers for his ‘personal gain’.

‘He would potentially have been spending his club’s money on players represented by a company that was paying him,’ The report states.

Queens Park Rangers have made a statement saying that they will conduct an internal investigation, but evidently will not be taking the step of suspending Hasselbaink from duty while doing so.

The club have also included the following statement from Hasselbaink, where the Dutchman denies any wrong-doing as mentioned briefly above: ‘I have today, through my lawyers, responded in full to the accusations levelled against me by The Telegraph.

‘I was approached by Mr McGarvey and Ms Newell of The Telegraph purporting to be players’ agents. They offered me a fee to make a speech in Singapore. I do not see anything unusual in being offered to be paid to make a speech.

‘I did not make any promises in return. I did not ask QPR to purchase any of the players who were said to be managed by Mr McGarvey and Ms Newell and did not and would not recommend the purchase of a player for my personal gain.

‘I deny any accusations of wrongdoing on my part.’

England National Team manager Sam Allardyce was forced to leave his role following a sting by the same newspaper just yesterday (September 27).