Paris Saint-Germain technical director caught in blackmail scheme

Patrick Kluivert, Director of Football with Paris Saint Germain was blackmailed for years by a crime gang. In 2011 and 2012, the former football player amassed over one million euros in debts by betting on football matches. In recent years the syndicate exerted growing pressure to pay  the money back. 

PSG in action REUTERS/Charles Platiau

The Dutch newspaper Volkskrant says it has access to documents that prove the blackmail.

The leader of the criminal gang, named by Volkskrant just mentioned as “Daniel van 't H.”, was accused in Germany of match fixing. He is thoought to have manipulated players to bet on their own games while manipulating the competitions.

It is unknown if Kluivert was asked to do this. In recent years, he worked as assistant coach to the Dutch national football team and is now now Director of Football of Paris Saint-Germain.

The Volkskrant says that the Justice Ministry has no evidence that Kluivert was involved in match fixing.

But judicial documents do show that Kluivert in 2011 and 2012 has gambled on matches of the first team, building up debts of more than €1 million.

Kluivert’s lawyer Gerard Spong stated that Kluivert 'has had no criminal involvement in the manipulation of football matches" and that he is "only a victim in this case.”

On February 16, 2015 the Dutch Fiscal Intelligence and Investigation Service (FIOD) arrested five members of the gang.  The investigation brought to light  the fact that Kluivert was involved and, as a result, was asked to be heard as a witness.

Kluivert said he was not aware that gambling prohibited by the syndicate and that he had no idea what happened to his bets

According to de Volkskrant, the criminals blackmailed Kluivert with an audio tape where he mentioned his debts when he was assistant coach of the Dutch national team in between 2012 and 2014, saying that they would release it to the media.

According to de Volkskrant, the gambling gang had hundreds of clients in the Netherlands. Betting took place by way of e-mails and text messages, and the bets were then transferred to gambling companies in Europe and Asia.