Football is corrupt: Get in while you can!

Ever wondered why so many rich people and wannabees get involved in football. Clearly Reading the book by Tom Bower, Broken Dreams, about the amazing corruption of Brian Clough, Socceroos Boss Terry Venables, Arsenal supremo George Graham and former Leicester player come $25 million dollar income player agent Dennis Roach football is a great way to pocket the odd $200,000 in cash for doing sod all.

Really puts you off professional football, player agents and managers for life. I got the bool from my local library in Canberra so take a peek if you love the wheeling and dealing of football, in England, Croatia, Germany and Italy etc.

There are two chapters alone on Terry Venables, he was considered that corrupt! No wonder Soccer Australia hooked up with him.

A couple of examples:

Dennis Roach wanted $400,000 for negotiating the Olivier Dacourt transfer to Leeds from Lens.

Peter Ridsdale the Leeds Chairman was outraged at such a fee to an agent.

Roach, "Leeds could not have got Dacourt without me. I was the only one in the room who spoke French," came the Agent's justification

Ridsdale reacted, "I spoke English to the Lens Manager."

Or the time when a Spurs recuit was available on a free transfer.

Italian side Brescia were surprised when Tottenham paid $2.8 million for the player from Red Star Belgrade Goran Bunjevcevic. "We were offered him on a free transfer," said the Brescia Chairman.

Of course Dennis Roach, the Cockroach as he was known, managed to turn a free transfer, which Tottenham agreed to into a $1.4 million deal which Spurs paid!

Paul Gascoigne, Chris Waddle, Nicholas Anelka, the list goes on and on. Everyone transferred, only me and you not on the make!

How much do you reckon Ronald's Agent got for that transfer? Pretty difficult one to negotiate.

Ronaldo wanted to go, everyone knew that and of course Real wanted to buy. Worth at least 10% of $160 million I guess or maybe in the Harry Kewell $10 million transfer to Liverpool, the player agent Bernie Mandic was reported to get $4 million a tad more than 10%.