Allardyce sacked as England manager after sting revelations
Sam Allardyce has been fired as manager of England just 67 days after undertaking the role.
The Football Association's statement read:
Allardyce's conduct, as reported today, was inappropriate of the England manager. He accepts he made a significant error of judgement and has apologised. However, due to the serious nature of his actions, The FA and Allardyce have mutually agreed to terminate his contract with immediate effect.
His sensational ousting comes following The Telegraph's findings from a 10-month investigation which included footage of the recently appointed national team boss meeting with men he believed to be investors from a Far East firm. The video, recorded in Manchester, appeared to show the former Sunderland gaffer requesting £400,000 annually from the undercover reporters in exchange for tips on how to bypass the FA and FIFA rules on third-party ownership.
Related - Report: Allardyce advised undercover reporters how to 'get around' FA rules
"You can still get around it. I mean obviously the big money's here," he said on the recording.
Following the revelation, the FA was seemingly left with no other choice but to sack Allardyce, especially considering he used his revered position to negotiate money-spinning meetings in Singapore and Hong Kong before he'd supervised his first England training session.
The country's football governing body continued in the statement:
This is not a decision that was taken lightly but The FA's priority is to protect the wider interests of the game and maintain the highest standards of conduct in football. The manager of the England men's senior team is a position which must demonstrate strong leadership and show respect for the integrity of the game at all times.
The 61-year-old stepped down from his job at Sunderland to take over the Three Lions in July, and The Telegraph's investigations team understood that Allardyce's contract was worth £3 million a year, plus bonuses.
He was intended to bring some stability to a country's football setup rocked by a Round of 16 exit to Iceland at Euro 2016 - a sorry showing presided over by Roy Hodgson.
Other candidates such as ex-Hull City manager Steve Bruce, Crystal Palace's Alan Pardew, Bournemouth's Eddie Howe, and England Under-21 handler Gareth Southgate were identified as potential successors to Hodgson, but the FA instead plumped for Allardyce.
Despite never collecting a major honour in his 25-year coaching career, Allardyce was highly regarded due to his tendency to steady clubs supposedly in disarray and oversee performances which confound expectations. His training methods, widespread scouting structure, and embrace of data analysis had also drawn plaudits in the game.
His tenure at Bolton Wanderers between 1999 and 2007 was one in particular that captured the imagination of football fans across the continent, as he led an assortment of supposedly past-it stars and journeymen into European competition.
"I will do everything I can to help England do well and give our nation the success our fans deserve," Allardyce said when he was appointed. "Above all, we have to make the people and the whole country proud."
Instead, the England national team and FA has lurched into another period of uncertainty.