Turkish football caught in race row as "unacceptable" messages come to light
Turkish football is facing new shame after it emerged a club refused to deal with an agent because he is black.
Mirror Football investigated after a potential transfer fell through and the reasons have become clear after shocking allegations came to light. The club, which is not being named, said it would not “do business with black people.”
Top football agent, Sky Andrew, has branded it as “unacceptable behaviour” and plans to discuss it with the Turkish Football Association. It comes just weeks after the football world was shocked when a Turkish referee was attacked by a club owner and the country’s Super League was suspended after the official was hospitalised.
Andrew was approached by another agent to help a Turkish club offload players to the United Kingdom and Holland during the January transfer window.
But Andrew - one of football’s best known agents with a client list which included Sol Campbell and Jermaine Pennant - then received another WhatsApp message saying the club would not use him or other black agents.
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The message - which has been seen by Mirror Football - reads: “In Turkey they don’t do business with black people because they don’t trust (sic).”
Andrew told Mirror Football: “There are many good young black agents in global football and shouldn’t be held back from working because of the colour of their skin. This kind of behaviour is just not acceptable.
Sky Andrew has spoken to Mirror Football about the messages (skyandrewofficial)"I’m sure that most of the clubs in Turkey do not adopt this policy but it’s always the few that can give a bad image to the many. I intend to have some communications with the Turkish FA to clarify the situation.”
Andrew has a huge reputation within football and is regarded as a trail blazer himself for his work in the game.
He famously brokered former England defender Campbell’s move from Tottenham to their bitter rivals Arsenal in one of the first big high-profile Bosman-style free transfers in English football.
The highly respected agent is one of the most powerful voices in the football agent world and has spoken out on player representation, management and FIFA’s botched plan to bring in a new licensing system for intermediaries.
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