LONDON: The embattled Football Association has promised – better late than never – to take a zero tolerance approach to any cases of corruption within the game.

The FA, the Premier League and the EFL issued a short joint statement on Wednesday evening in response to allegations made in The Daily Telegraph that 10 unnamed managers took bribes in player transfers.

The newspaper made the allegations on Wednesday as part of its undercover investigation into corruption in football – and there is the prospect of further serious claims to come.

The statement read: “English football takes the governance of the game extremely seriously with integrity being of paramount importance.

“Any substantive allegations will be investigated with the full force of the rules at our disposal, which are wide-ranging and well-developed. In addition, should we find any evidence of criminality we would inform and seek the support of the appropriate statutory authorities.”

“Ultimately, changes to the current set-up should also be enforceable globally and this must involve UEFA and FIFA to help spread best practice around the world and re-introduce a system of licensing and regulation which works and is meaningful. We can make a positive start here to promote a better approach across the game.”

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