Former Fulham Ladies manager Gaute Haugenes has told BBC Sport that the club put in place special measures to protect his players from the predatory instincts of chairman Mohamed Al-Fayed.
Norwegian coach Haugenes, who was in charge of Fulham’s women’s side between 2001 and 2003, said that club staff were aware that Al-Fayed ‘liked young, blonde girls’ and ensured that the players were not left alone with the former owner.
Haugenes told the BBC:
“I read all the newspapers yesterday of course and to be honest it’s not the biggest surprise. We were aware he liked young, blonde girls. So we just made sure that situations couldn’t occur. We protected the players.
When the payslip came from Harrods it was quite strange. Also, the contract said that they could put me in the food shop in Dublin if that was what I wanted. It would never have happened today.”
Former Fulham Ladies players have previously hinted at being uncomfortable at Al-Fayed’s behaviour. Yesterday, five former employees of Harrods alleged that the late Egyptian billionaire raped them during his time as owner of British department store Harrods.
