Soccer President Yngve Hallén Alerts legal aftermath after a new book accused of corruption as general manager of Sogndal.
The former football agent Knut Høibraaten accused in his book “Football Agent” – which currently occupies Norwegian bookstores with an initial print run of 3000 – Hallén and the then leadership of Sogndal for receiving black money under the table associated with Piotr Leciejewskis transition from Polish football Sogndal before 2008- season.
Reacts strongly to corruption allegations
Yngve Hallén was general manager of Sogndal until he became president of the Norwegian Football Association in 2010, he was unaware of the serious allegations before VG informed about it Thursday afternoon. Norwegian football’s supreme leader reacts strongly and maintains his innocence.
– I am not corrupt. If this book comes out, I will pursue it legally. It is unacceptable for me to have these things hanging over me in those positions I sit. This is direct accusations of corruption and has neither basis in reality. I’ll find myself in a lot of things, but this I find myself not in, says Hallén VG.
Do you know anything about this? Tips VG reporter here
He said he sought immediate legal assistance after VG acquainted him with the book’s content.
– If the VG says in the book, so come I will pursue it legally. And demand that they retracts the it and pull it back, underlines football president.
In the book “Football Agent – pirate stories Football Norway”, says Høibraaten on many wild adventures that football agent from the days when money flowed like most in the end of previous decades.
Claims Sogndal asked for money under the table
The chapter that deals with the current Fire goalkeeper Piotr Leciejewskis transition to Sogndal, shut down as a bomb in World Norway. Knut Høibraaten tells that the Polish FIFA agent Marcin Hakman contacted and informed that the then Sogndal director Yngve Hallén and sporting director wanted money under the table before they signed goalkeeper. Hakman is quoted as saying that they wanted 5,000 euros (about 40,000 dollars).
In an email dated November 12, 2013, as printed in the book, answer the following Hakman on Høibraaten matter how much the two Sogndal drain wire would be “under the table”:
“Regarding Sogndal and money under the table … I hope you do not tell it to Sogndal. It was a long time ago and I will not make any trouble. But familiarity was around 5000 euro. “
BOOK-BOMB: In the book “Football Agent” comes the former agent Knut Høibraaten about the startling news from his life in the football industry.
Photo: Jan Petter Lynau VG
– It’s a sound bomb. There I sit with the info is a phone conversation with a Polish agent colleague who was behind the transition. He asked me what amount was normal to pay under the table in Norway for a transition in port. In Norway it is not normal, but in Eastern Europe it is. It was just an academic internal issues. He said that they had asked for money, and wondered if it was a reasonable price, say Høibraaten.
– Talked with Hallén you or others in Sogndal about this?
– No. It is an important point: I do not know if they have received this money. I never saw the money being handed over. But in my head, the Polish agent no reason to lie to me about this. It would have been pointless. He has no motive to tell me this as a lie. It was an academic question, answer Bergen.
E-mail: This e-mails described in the book.
agent denies email concessions
– Some years later I thought that this was something I wanted to include in the book. But then do not just with my words. So I asked in writing whether it was correct that the director and sports director at Sogndal asked for kickbacks in connection with the transition. And he confirmed in the email that was true, that amount was 5,000 euros, and that I should not tell anyone, says Høibraaten.
– I have not heard anything about this. I do not think this can vote. I know Yngve and I know Marcin says Piotr Leciejewski.
Controversial TRANSITION: Piotr Leciejewski says he is unaware that money under the table to have been involved when he went to Sogndal before the 2008 season.
Photo: Marit Hommedal NTB Scanpix
Opposite VG refuse the Polish agent for giving some in Sogndal management money under the table.
– This is bullshit (this is quite crazy), says Marcin Hakman VG.
– I never give money under the table. I have never met Mr. Yngve. I’ve never been in Sogndal. Some try to make a show about something that is not true, says Hakman, clearly unhappy.
– Why do you write it in an email that they received 5,000 euros?
– There is a misunderstanding. If he goes to trial, I can prove it. I have all documents in connection with the transition, answering the Polish agent.
Would be honest
Knut Høibraaten respond to the statements by Marcin Hakman:
– It will be for his account. I have reproduced the email in its entirety in the book. I see no reason to misunderstand what he writes in the mail to me.
– What is your motive for writing about this?
– I decided to be honest death. And there is no one who is more maligned in this book than myself. In my eyes it gives more credibility to put everything on the table. Also, Yngve Hallén football president. In his position he must endure this. If he is innocent, then he will explain it.
Yngve Hallén denies strongly that he or anyone else in Sogndal management received kickbacks in connection with Leciejewskis transition.
– That’s right, not at all. I do not know the name Marcin Hakman. I did not participate in any way in the negotiations.
– Can anyone in Sogndal have asked for money under the table?
– No.
– How can you be so sure?
– We have such close relations between us it would have been discovered. It is far beyond the values we have.
– How do you respond to these accusations?
– I react very strongly. As football president can head not live with that kind of accusations directed against them. Not even considering the international office where I sit in the ethics committee. I am also amazed that the publisher has not presented this to me, but that it comes from the media. I will be very put out that one can get with that kind of claims without me being contacted. To accuse someone of corruption should not go unchallenged, says Yngve Hallén.
– Important to elucidate possible corruption
Publishing Director Erling Kagge in Kagge Publishing is not afraid to go a blow to the right after corruption allegations against Yngve Hallén.
He answers the Yngve Halléns reaction of legal aftermath of the allegations in the book “Football Agent”:
– Norway is a free country, and it is up to everyone to whom he will sue. The publisher is of course considered the book’s legal aspects, and assessment is also carried along with attorney John Christian Elden. We firmly believe that Yngve Hallén will not succeed through our legal system. The book is Knut Høibraaten multifaceted story of his professional life as a football agent for six years. The author renders the book an e-mail from his colleague including references to black money in Sogndal, but Høibraaten also emphasizes that he does not know who received the money.
– We the publishers have read this email -record carefully, and other correspondence between Høibraaten and sender. We believe the restored e-mails neither proving more or less than what is written in it. In case Hallén is one of the possible beneficiaries recipients of a few thousand euros, we encourage him to investigate this matter further, instead of trying to resolve the legal system. It is very important to elucidate possible corruption also in Norwegian football Football Association has of course an important responsibility here. We hope associated will take this matter seriously, says Erling Kagge and attributes:
– agent Marcin Hakman have direct questions confirmed in writing that it was given 5,000 euros under the table. That he now chooses to go back on what he has written, after it became known through the book, standing at his expense.
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