Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink 'made £55k demand' in undercover sting and 'planned to avoid tax'

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink was once embroiled in an undercover operation at a Pret a Manger coffee shop, which he branded as "painful" whilst denying any misconduct. The Suriname-born striker enjoyed a distinguished career in English football, turning out for clubs including Leeds United, Middlesbrough and Cardiff City.

However, he's most celebrated for his four-year spell at Chelsea, where he claimed the Community Shield in 2000 and finished as the Premier League's leading marksman in both the 1998/99 and 2000/01 campaigns. The forward hung up his boots in 2008 and quickly moved into management. Hasselbaink started as part of Nottingham Forest's coaching team and secured his maiden managerial position in 2012 with Royal Antwerp. Subsequently, he would take charge of Burton Albion, Queens Park Rangers, and Northampton Town, whilst also joining the England coaching structure.

He's now amongst 14 famous faces preparing to take to the ballroom floor for the 23rd series of Strictly Come Dancing, though it was during his time in west London with QPR that he found himself at the centre of controversy nearly 10 years ago.

In September 2016, Hasselbaink was secretly recorded by a Daily Telegraph undercover journalist at a Pret a Manger outlet in London. The newspaper claimed that the QPR boss subsequently demanded £55,000 to collaborate with a fictitious South Asian sports company seeking to recruit players for his team.

During a subsequent encounter at a London bar, it was claimed that discussions took place regarding Hasselbaink travelling to Singapore to address potential investors, with the former footballer expressing taxation worries.

The 53-year-old is reported as stating: "If I do work abroad and receive it abroad, in my bank account in Holland, then if I bring it back here I have a way of only paying between 10 and 15 per cent [tax], instead of paying 45 [per cent]. Because it makes a big difference."

Hasselbaink swiftly refuted any misconduct following accusations that he had requested payment to address investors on behalf of the company, releasing a public declaration following the undercover investigation.

"I have today, through my lawyers, responded in full to the accusations levelled against me by The Telegraph. I was approached by Mr McGarvey and Ms Newell of The Telegraph purporting to be players' agents," he stated. "They offered me a fee to make a speech in Singapore. I do not see anything unusual in being offered to be paid to make a speech. I did not make any promises in return.

"I did not ask QPR to purchase any of the players who were said to be managed by Mr McGarvey and Ms Newell and did not and would not recommend the purchase of a player for my personal gain. I deny any accusations of wrongdoing on my part."

Hasselbaink has subsequently recovered from this controversy, having categorically rejected all allegations of impropriety. Speaking immediately following the accusation, he revealed details about the experience, with Sky Sports reporting that the ex-striker was "devastated" by the claims.

Reflecting on the incident in September 2016, he confessed: "You reflect, you think back and you criticise yourself and you must say that I have been naive. But then, with everything with it, I have never asked for money for myself to take a player or to bring a player to the club. I would never do that. That's the painful thing about it."

The Championship side stood by their manager amidst these allegations, releasing an official statement after an investigation: "Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink openly admitted he was naive and, as such, has been reminded of his roles and responsibilities as manager of Queens Park Rangers Football Club. He remains fully focused on his job as QPR manager, and he does so with the board's unanimous support."

Former Barnsley boss Tommy Wright and ex-Leeds United owner Massimo Cellino were also implicated in this sting, reportedly speaking to the same fictitious investors. Wright was suspended pending an internal investigation into allegations he'd accepted a £5,000 cash bribe to facilitate a transfer. In 2019, he was found guilty of soliciting and accepting bribes.

Hasselbaink departed his role with England last year following Gareth Southgate's exit as Three Lions manager, and he continues to work in punditry as he gears up for his Strictly Come Dancing debut.