Football agent ‘threatened to send enforcers to Chelsea FC director over £300k cut from Kurt Zouma transfer fee’
A FOOTBALL agent threatened to send enforcers to a Chelsea FC director over a £300,000 cut from Kurt Zouma’s transfer, a court heard.
Saif Alrubie, 45, allegedly demanded payment from Marina Granovskaia after the French defender moved to West Ham.
Jurors heard he told the director: “I am done trying to be nice to you.”
Southwark Crown Court was told Alrubie insisted he had played a part in the £29million move in August 2021.
But prosecutor Arizuna Asante said he had “nothing at all to do with the deal” and had “no right to or credible expectation to” benefit from the transfer.
He added: “It is then alleged that Mr Alrubie sent Ms Granovskaia an email threatening her on May 22 2022 that if the money was not paid – that is his commission – that she might suffer the fate of someone called Kia Joorabchian who owed him money and did not pay in time.
“He (Mr Joorabchian) was allegedly accosted in a restaurant, an expensive watch taken from him, and thereafter in his office confronted by about a dozen men all at one time effectively intimidating him into handing over bundles of cash in intervals until the money that was owed was paid off.”
Marina was director of Chelsea from 2014 to 2022 and also served as chief assistant to Roman Abramovich for over ten years.
Jurors heard she told Alrubie if Zouma sold for more than 30 million euros he would get a commission, but there was “nothing binding” about those exchanges because it was “pre contract”.
When the defender was sold to Premier League rivals West Ham, Alrubie’s name was not identified on the “deal sheet”, which had been signed by Zouma, it was said.
Marina emailed Alrubie on August 25, 2021, explaining she did not believe the football agent was working on behalf of Chelsea.
He responded on May 22, 2022, saying: “In summary, you owe me and my partners £300,000 which needs to get paid ASAP.
“If Chelsea don’t pay it then that debt will be on you to pay. I am done trying to be nice to you. And feel free to go to your boss who’s had his recent problems and tell him that you have a big problem with me as long as you tell him the truth about your behaviour. Because in life you can’t be wrong and strong.
“I look forward to hearing from you on the above matters and hopefully have a swift solution to them otherwise I guess I will see you when I see you.
“I’m sure you’ve heard the story about your other friend Kia when he owed me money for a year and how he ended up paying it. Wouldn’t want you to be in the same situation just because you have a personal issue with me.”
Jurors heard the message was intended to be “threatening” in a bid to force Marina to send over the cash.
Mr Asante added: “He intended her to feel anxiety or distress.”
Marina became known as one of the toughest negotiators in football during Abramovich’s reign at Chelsea.
She left Stamford Bridge when Todd Boehly bought the team for a record £4.25billion following the UK Government sanctions placed on Abramovich.
Alrubie denies sending an electronic communication with intent to cause distress or anxiety.
The trial continues.