Fifa clears Arsenal after probe

Fifa has cleared Arsenal of any breach of club ownership rules over their dealings with Belgian side Beveren.

BBC Newsnight said Belgian police found Arsenal made an irregular £1m payment to Beveren - a charge the club denied.

Fifa asked the Football Association to look into the allegation and it absolved Arsenal of any wrongdoing.

And Fifa will not take the matter further, saying: "There is no evidence or indication of any infringement of the relevant regulations."

Arsenal always maintained the £1m payment to Beveren was by way of a loan "to assist in stabilising the finances of Beveren" and vehemently denied having a controlling influence over the club.

The FA earlier found the Gunners had not breached any rules of the FA or the FA Premier League in relation to their dealings with Beveren.

The Fifa statement backed up these findings.

It read: "After carefully analysing the documents and statements provided by the Football Association in relation to an alleged breach of club ownership rules by Arsenal and Belgian club Beveren, Fifa confirmed there is no evidence or indication of any infringement of the relevant
regulations.

"The FA had already reached the same conclusion, having been requested by Fifa to investigate the case.

"Under the Fifa statutes, it is the responsibility of the member associations to ensure that neither a natural nor a legal person exercises control over more than one club whenever the integrity of any match or competition could be jeopardised.

"In view of these findings, Fifa does not see any reason for further investigation or for any additional measures to be taken in this connection."

Premier League rules prohibit clubs making loans or owning shares but these rules do not apply to dealings with a club based outside England.

The Gunners have an arrangement with the Belgium club to play friendly matches and there is an option for players to be loaned between the clubs.

Ivory Coast defender Emmanuel Eboue moved to Arsenal following a successful spell with the Belgian team.

From : BBC