ABSTRACT
Money-laundering and the improper ownership of football clubs are considered among the main threats to the integrity of sport. 2 Money-laundering is a process whereby criminals disguise their illicitly gained wealth so it appears as though it came from a legitimate source, and in football it can involve multifaceted aspects. 3 It is achieved through a variety of means, notably manipulating club accounts by inflating income from ticket sales, buying empty spectator seats, inventing a fake revenue stream and engaging in the development of property near stadiums. The international market for transferring players can also be a vehicle for money-laundering, as the overvaluation of a player is similar to the money-laundering protocol of inflating invoices for goods and services. 4 Another vehicle for money-laundering is the use of tax havens and the ability to use front companies and shadow directors as football club owners. Such fraud and corruption in football are frequently reported in the media, and they involve and affect the wider community, jeopardising the game and its brand value.
