Racist Allegation: English FA Pays £40k Balance To Aluko

Eni Aluko addresses the MPs on the racist allegation

Eni Aluko has finally received the second half of the £80,000 the Football Association agreed to pay her to keep quiet about her accusations of bullying, harassment and racism against former England manager Mark Sampson.

Sportsmail first revealed in September that the FA were withholding some of the money owed to Aluko as part of her deal not to discuss her case.

During the parliamentary inquiry into the FA’s diabolical handling of the whole affair, the Chelsea forward claimed that FA chief executive Martin Glenn called her to a meeting and tried to force her to sign a statement saying that they were not a racist organisation or she would not receive the second half of her money.

‘I felt that was bordering on blackmail,’ Aluko said.

Glenn denied the claims and refused to say whether the governing body would honour their agreement and release the money. But it was confirmed on Thursday that the FA had relented and paid her the £40,000 she was still owed

It was gathered in August that a financial settlement had been agreed between the FA and Aluko essentially to buy her silence, despite two investigations into claims made by the 102-cap striker apparently clearing Sampson of any wrongdoing.

Sportsmail obtained a copy of Aluko’s emailed complaint, sent to technical director Dan Ashworth and head of performance Dave Reddin in May 2016, in which she made the allegations that Sampson had bullied her and asked her mixed-race team-mate Drew Spence how many times she had been arrested during a meeting.

Aluko later revealed she reported to the FA that Sampson also told her to make sure her Nigerian relatives did not bring Ebola to a match. The internal and external investigations, when made public, were widely criticised.

Ahead of the parliamentary inquiry, the FA announced that after re-opening her independent investigation, barrister Katharine Newton found that Sampson made racist comments to Aluko, 30, and Spence.

The organisation issued an apology.