The Observer:
Ehud Shochatovitch, Pini Zahavi's solicitor, last night told Observer Sport that the so-called super agent was 'seriously considering legal action' against Quest, the company headed by Lord Stevens that carried out the Premier League investigation into 'bungs' in football transfers. Zahavi himself told Observer Sport: 'I was expecting this. I knew they would target me to justify it. But where is their proof?'
The FA, British police and Fifa must now decide whether to pursue any perceived evidence of impropriety uncovered by the inquiry. A Quest spokesman, who last week said he expected arrests to be made, said: 'We're satisfied that this is bigger and more thorough than any previous investigation into football transfers.' Chelsea, Newcastle, Bolton, Middlesbrough and Portsmouth were named as having been involved in transfers with which Quest were unhappy, as were managers Sam Allardyce and Graeme Souness and 15 agents, with Zahavi most prominent among them. There is no suggestion that any of them is guilty of an offence.
Zahavi was involved in fi ve of the 17 transfers Quest called into question and was criticised for not allowing checks on some of his bank accounts. The Israeli points to inconsistencies in Quest's work, however, saying several other transfers in which he was involved had been given the all-clear. According to his lawyer, Zahavi believes the Quest team had 'made up their minds about him' before they even started work.
Chelsea's signings of Didier Drogba and Petr Cech were two of the deals involving Zahavi that Quest refused to sign off because of 'outstanding issues' , but there were no problems with seven other deals, including the moves of Mateja Kezman and Robert Huth to Stamford Bridge. According to a source close to Zahavi, the agent was also angry that Lord Stevens had failed to carry out a promise to meet him. 'He feels he was specifically targeted from the outset of the inquiry by Nigel Layton [the Quest chief executive, who led the investigation],' said the source.
The Mail on Sunday:
Former Newcastle United manager Graeme Souness is threatening to sue the Quest investigators who named him in their £1.3million inquiry into Premiership transfers.
Souness is the first major football figure to come out fighting over the Stevens Report, published last week following a 15-month investigation of 362 transfer deals.
statement issued by Souness's solicitors said he could not understand why he had been named in the Stevens report when he had acted freely as a witness to the inquiry.
It was also claimed that at no time during his talks with Quest was it suggested that there were inconsistencies in his evidence.
Now Souness is threatening to take Quest to court to lift what he believes is the slur that hangs over him and the serious damage that being named could have on his managerial prospects.
Harry Redknapp:
"This has been a total waste of the Premier League's money and if this is all they can come up with then what a waste of time," said Redknapp.
"What has been worthwhile about it? What have they achieved? They admit there has been no wrong-doing.
"I find it strange that there are lots of pictures in the newspapers of me, Sam Allardyce and Graeme Souness.
"There are a couple of big deals involving Chelsea that haven't been sorted, yet I don't see any pictures of Jose Mourinho.
"And why isn't there a picture of Steve McClaren, who was manager of Middlesbrough at the time of the Yakubu deal? Is it because he is the current England coach?
"In my view, one of the reasons these deals haven't been cleared is because not all agents have co-operated - it has nothing to do with the managers."
Sunday Express:
FIFA treasurer Matthieu Sprengers has revealed the governing body could withdraw the licences of those agents who have been involved in transfer bungs.
FIFA are awaiting Lord Stevens' report which was released on Friday, and Sprenger said: "This is a very serious conclusion.
"Legally, the 15 (agents cited) could be prosecuted because we granted their licences so we have the power to withdraw them."
Sunday Telegraph:
The Government will play an active role in trying to rid football of its 'bung culture' when Gordon Brown becomes Prime Minister next week.
Lord Stevens' final report into alleged football corruption, recommended that FIFA launch an inquiry into the conduct of Pini Zahavi, the Premiership's 'super-agent', regarding five transfers, and asked the English footballing authorities to continue to investigate another 14 agents and 12 other transfers of the 362 that they investigated that they were not prepared to sign off after their 15-month inquiry. Chelsea, Newcastle, Portsmouth, Middlesbrough and Bolton were mentioned, as were managers Sam Allardyce, Harry Redknapp and Graeme Souness, but the report made it clear that neither the clubs nor the managers were implicated in any wrongdoing.
But while Stevens has described his report as "final", a Government source has suggested that Brown's aides think it is anything but. The source said the investigation had been widely discussed by Brown's inner circle, who believed Government intervention was necessary to clean up the game.
But while Stevens has described his report as "final", a Government source has suggested that Brown's aides think it is anything but. The source said the investigation had been widely discussed by Brown's inner circle, who believed Government intervention was necessary to clean up the game.
FIFA reacted swiftly to Friday's report, saying that new restrictions would be in place by next year which would limit agents to taking only a three per cent cut on deals and that the organisation could even prosecute the 15 agents mentioned in the Stevens report. The Premier League said they had agreed with the Football Association to spot checks on randomly selected transfers from next season and that they would be asking Quest, Stevens' team, to help.
However the Government remain unconvinced that such self-regulation can work and are considering setting up their own body to monitor transfers in this country.