Police begin football corruption investigation

Police have opened a criminal investigation into an allegation of bribery after reviewing material from the Daily Telegraph’s investigation into suspected corruption in football.

Sam Allardyce left his post as England boss after the newspaper investigation claimed he offered advice on how to “get around” rules on player transfers.

He had been in charge of England for one game before his exit.

But police said Allardyce “is not part of the investigation”.

In a statement, 62-year-old Allardyce said he welcomed the confirmation, adding: “I was always confident that this would be the case as there was no evidence against me. I now ask that the Football Association deals with this matter as quickly as possible.

“While I am sad that my tenure came to an end early, I am nonetheless proud to have been chosen to manage the England football team and hope that today’s confirmation from the police will give me the opportunity to move on.”

The FA, English Football League and Premier League have all been waiting for the City of London Police to complete its review of the Telegraph’s evidence so they can proceed with their own inquiries.