Manchester Metropolis have been accused of making a pretend scouting job for a former academy star’s father in a bid to sidestep Premier League guidelines and funnel cash to the participant’s household.
In an try and persuade Gabriel Fernando Almeida, now 24, to hitch the membership on the age of 14 in 2011, it’s alleged that Metropolis went to extraordinary lengths to get the participant to signal on the dotted line.
In response to The Athletic, Metropolis could have breached Premier League guidelines by organising Almeida’s father with a pretend position within the academy scouting division as a approach of sending 1000’s of kilos to the participant’s household.
Gabriel Fernando Almeida, now 24, pictured throughout his time at Manchester Metropolis’s academy
Paperwork have been supplied to The Athletic which allegedly expose the funds, whereas the household have additionally spoken out to show ‘a threat to the integrity of world soccer’ and to warn different younger South American gamers of the problems they might encounter when enticed to European academies.
Almeida solely stayed at Metropolis for 3 years earlier than transferring again to Brazil with Corinthians, however he returned to England in October 2020 to signal for non-League Stretford Paddock.
He’s now reportedly as soon as once more getting ready to go again to Brazil to signal a contract at a top-flight membership there, and mentioned of the Metropolis controversy: ‘Since it’s one thing I’ve been by way of, individuals may discover extra when that is occurring to them.
‘They are going to be extra cautious if individuals attempt to do it to them. You suppose you will have benefited on the time as a result of you’re a excellent participant, however you do not see the opposite facet.’
Almeida has been again in England in latest months, taking part in for non-league Stretford Paddock
It’s not uncommon for golf equipment to rent members of the family of younger gamers, significantly after a long-distance relocation, however on this occasion Almeida’s father insists he didn’t do any work for the membership.
Certainly, he admits the position was invented as a way of ‘growing funds to the household whereas the participant was beneath the age of 16’.
Payslips are reported to point out funds of round £1,000 per 30 days between September 2011 and June 2012, with the very best fee of £1,313.25 acquired in January 2012.
Whereas Almeida Snr admits he was despatched to 2 inner scouting coaching periods at Metropolis, each periods have been totally in English and he did not communicate the language.
Almeida’s father was allegedly paid for a sham scouting position that he did not have
Talking in Portuguese, he mentioned: ‘The reality is that they paid me however I didn’t work. In fact, they tricked us as a result of I don’t communicate English. They did prepare for me to take a course in scouting. I went to the classroom on two events, to look there on the course. It was inside Manchester Metropolis.’
The Athletic, of their report, reveal the principles from the Premier League handbook for 2011-12, through which Rule N.90.1 states ‘no membership shall induce or try and induce a participant to develop into registered as a scholar by that membership by providing him, or any individual linked with him, both straight or not directly, a profit or fee of any description whether or not in money or in form’.
In a press release, Manchester Metropolis mentioned the membership ‘refutes any wrongdoing and fully rejects the claims which have been made’.
