A professional football club in Europe is being run by criminals, the former chief executive of the European Professional Football Leagues alleged yesterday.

Emanuel Medeiros made the claim as he spoke at the Soccerex Global Convention in Manchester, then expanded on it after the debate, but would not name the specific club he was referring to.

“I believe there is a professional club in a professional league in Europe that is being run by criminals. I have reasons to believe that has been the case,” Medeiros said.

“I would not mention any club or any country because there are proper ways of dealing with this and, with due respect for press, it’s not in this forum things will be done.

“We have been in touch with relevant authorities raising warnings.

“I’m aware of an ongoing police investigation into that club but I cannot go into details.”

Talking on stage as part of a debate about match-fixing in the game, Medeiros — recently appointed as chief executive of the International Centre for Sport Security’s European head office — said: “Match-fixing has evolved.

“It is getting more refined, more sophisticated. It is not just bribing, or threatening or even using more persuasive coercion means.

“Illegal match-fixing syndicates are using front companies to take over clubs in Europe. It is important that we realise that.

“There are reasons to be seriously concerned.

“It is a wake-up call. We need a concerted, global response, a serious response.”

John Abbott, chairman of the Interpol Steering Group for the Interpol-Fifa initiative to reduce corruption in football, also took part in the debate but refused to comment on possible ongoing investigations.

Asked if he was aware of a European club being under the control of organised criminals, Abbott said: “If we are talking in the past tense, yes.

“But it would be very unwise of me, as a person representing a law-enforcement organisation, to talk about things that might be currently investigated.

“I am not prepared to go down that route.”