Kewell agents make killing on transfer - Sports News - Fanatics - the world's biggest events

Kewell agents make killing on transfer

By Paul Mulvey 10/07/2003 05:53:47 AM Comments (0)

Harry Kewell's agent Bernie Mandic admitted that his company received STG2 million ($A5 million) for the Socceroo's transfer from Leeds United to Liverpool.

Leeds chairman John McKenzie released a scathing statement about the protracted transfer which said the club was outraged at being forced to accept a "paltry" STG3 million ($A7.4 million) for Kewell with another STG2 million ($A5 million) going to his agents for brokering the deal.

McKenzie said the club was forced to drop its fee from STG7 million ($A17.4 million) to prevent Kewell staying at Leeds and leaving the club for free under the Bosman ruling when his contract expired at the end of next season.

"Sadly STG2 million of the STG5 million had to go to Mr Mandic," McKenzie told Sky News.

"The reality is, and I have this in writing and in a telephone conversation, that if we didn't settle on these terms there would be a Bosman situation and they would not move until the end of the season."

Leeds announced to the stock exchange that Kewell's transfer had been complete but, in his statement, McKenzie said Liverpool had earlier agreed to STG7 million.

"The reality is that on Friday 4 July I agreed a deal of STG7 million with Liverpool Football Club, which Kewell and his agent refused to countenance," he said.

"Instead they made a condition of not doing a Bosman that we pay STG2 million to Kewell's representatives, and Liverpool Football Club then reduced the fee to STG5 million."

Mandic admitted the money was paid to the management company MaxSport of which he is chief executive.

"He (McKenzie) gave a letter of authority to sell Harry Kewell for STG5 million," Mandic said.

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