FOOTBALL “has never been cleaner” despite this week’s financial scandals that have rocked the game, claims Stoke chairman Peter Coates.
The Potters chief, however, would back a limit on agent fees in the wake of the recent financial malpractice claims.
City of London police have confirmed that they have held talks with the FA following the allegations made in the Telegraph of bribery and corruption.
Sam Allardyce lost his job as England manager after offering advice on how to avoid third-party ownership rules.
Barnsley’s assistant boss Tommy Wright was sacked on Thursday after claims he took cash for trying to engineer certain transfers.
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And QPR were rocked by claims their head coach Jimmy Floyd-Hasselbaink was alleged to have negotiated a £55,000 fee to speak to a bogus firm who indicated they were keen to get involved in player transfers.
Despite the controversies wrecking the game’s reputation, Stoke chief Coates claims things have never been better.
Coates told BBC: “We can do things better but I don’t accept the game is corrupt.
“The game has never been cleaner and I have been in this game a long time.”
Coates has been on the Stoke board since 1985, apart from a seven-year hiatus from 1989, wants to see a limit of 10 per cent set on transfer commission for agents.
Mino Raiola reportedly pocketed around £20million for his part in Paul Pogba’s world record transfer to Manchester United last month.
Coates admitted there is a "fear factor" that leads to clubs paying huge agent fees to boost their chances of signing a player, but he is hopeful that their will soon be a mutual agreement to restrict those payments.
The 78-year-old said: "The amounts are extraordinary, but strangely lots more went on when there was less money in the game.
"I wondered whether collectively we could agree that we would not pay more than 10% and try and bring some better order into it.
"I think transparency is very important. I would have everything about every transfer deal recorded and the FA and the Premier League or the Football League have a copy."
Following the claims in the Telegraph, the newspaper claim eight current or former Premier League managers have also taken bribes for player transfers.
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