Welcome to this week session on enforcement case breakdown
We have two football-related investigations that made headlines in Europe this week.
When most people hear about football scandals, they usually think about the game.
A controversial decision on the pitch.
A player transfer gone wrong.
A club dispute in the boardroom.
And other scandals you might think of
But behind some football stories, there is another story happening, the movement of money.
If you are learning about AML, this is worth taking note of
The recent headlines
In Spain, authorities arrested seven people in an investigation involving alleged match-fixing, illegal betting and money laundering. One of those arrested was Ramón Lázaro, former president of Spanish football club CD Tudelano.
In Albania, prosecutors opened an investigation involving Igli Tare, former sporting director of AC Milan, as part of a wider corruption probe where money laundering allegations are also being considered.
Football has been on the radar of AML regulators for years.
While the details of both investigations are still developing,
there is one question that connects them
Why does football keep appearing in conversations about financial crime?
Why is football considered an AML risk?
Football is a global industry where large amounts of money move across borders.
Players are transferred for millions of euros. Clubs sign sponsorship agreements worth huge amounts. Agents, investors and companies from different countries can all become part of one transaction.
That creates opportunities for legitimate business but it can also create opportunities for criminals.
Imagine trying to follow the money behind a football transfer that may involve
A club in one country
A player from another country
An agent representing the player
A company involved in the payment
Investors or owners behind the club
The more parties involved, the more important it becomes to understand some of these risks
Who is involved?
Transfers can involve millions of euros, multiple countries, agents and intermediaries. Complex transactions can make it harder to understand where money is coming from and who is really involved.Who ultimately benefits?
Some clubs and companies connected to football may have complicated ownership arrangements, making it difficult to identify the real owners behind the money.Sponsorship deals
Commercial agreements can sometimes be used to disguise the movement of illicit funds.Sports betting and match-fixing
Illegal betting linked to manipulated games creates another way criminals can generate and move money.
The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has highlighted risks in the football sector for years. As industries involving large amounts of money and complex transactions can attract financial crime.
The concept of predicate offences
Money laundering requires a predicate offence. The original crime that generated the illegal cash
For example:
Fraud generates illegal profits → someone tries to disguise the money.
Corruption generates illegal payments → someone tries to make those funds appear legitimate.
Match-fixing generates illegal betting profits → someone needs to move and hide the money.
For these reasons, AML professionals need to understand industries and crimes connected to those transactions.
What does AML regulation say about this?
If you’re wondering why regulators care so much about football, well AML law is not only about banks.
Under EU law, money laundering is a criminal offence across all Member States. That comes from Directive (EU) 2018/1673 (AMLD6), which requires countries to treat money laundering as a serious crime, with strong penalties when it is linked to serious offences like corruption, fraud or illegal betting.
But most interestingly,
The EU’s new Anti-Money Laundering Regulation (AMLR – Regulation (EU) 2024/1624) expands who must actively prevent money laundering.
And for the first time, it explicitly brings professional football clubs and football agents as obliged entities from July 10, 2029
It means, they are formally responsible for preventing it financial crime
Starting in 2029, clubs and agents must:
Verify who they are doing business with (Customer Due Diligence).
Identify the real owners behind companies (Beneficial Ownership).
Monitor transactions for unusual patterns.
Report suspicious activity to national Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs).
Put internal compliance systems in place
This is a big shift for an industry that has not traditionally operated under AML rules.
And it explains why cases like this in Spain and Albania matter.
They are not just football scandals.
For many football organisations, this will require building compliance processes that may not have existed before.
What does this mean for businesses navigating AML obligations?
More industries are being brought into the conversation because criminals do not limit themselves to one sector.
They look for opportunities wherever money moves fast and oversight is low.
For businesses, the question is:
Could someone misuse my business to hide or move illegal money?
For people learning about AML
This is why understanding real-world cases matters.
Regulations make more sense when you see how financial crime actually happens.
Football is just one example.
The same AML principles apply across many industries.
Moving forward
As these investigations develop, more details may emerge.
But the bigger story is already clear
Football is becoming part of AML conversation, and businesses outside traditional finance will increasingly need to understand their role in preventing financial crime.
Official sources
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Tosin
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