BRUSSELS: Player agent Pini Zahavi has been charged in Belgium in an investigation into suspected fraud in the 2015 takeover of Belgian football club Mouscron.
The 78-year-old Israeli businessman was charged with “forgery and use of forgeries,” “swindling” and “money laundering” by a Brussels judge, before being released, a source close to the case told AFP.
Contacted Friday by AFP, the federal prosecutor’s office confirmed the charge but refused to give any details.
Zahavi was an intermediary in the record-breaking deal that took Neymar to Paris Saint-Germain from Barcelona in 2017, he also brokered Roman Abramovich’s takeover of Chelsea in 2003 and has represented stars including Robert Lewandowski and Rio Ferdinand.
The Belgian investigation has been running since April 2018 into whether the agent had illegally acquired Mouscron.
Zahavi was interviewed and then charged in the last few weeks after responding to a summons, the source said, and released on condition that he appear at any future hearing of the Belgian justice.
Belgian justice suspects that Zahavi used shell companies to circumvent the ban on player agents owning clubs.
“Foreign companies would have made it possible to camouflage the control of the Mouscron club by a players’ agent, the so-called P.Z.,” wrote the Belgian Federal Prosecutor’s Office at the end of 2018. The initials PZ refer to Pini Zahavi.
According to the Belgian press, Zahavi took over Mouscron through a Maltese fund, before selling the club a year later to a company managed by his nephew, effectively retaining control.
In February 2019, Mouscron was placed under judicial administration and its bank account temporarily frozen, at the request of the federal prosecutor’s office.
It was taken over in 2020 by the Luxembourg businessman Gerard Lopez, the former owner of Lille and Bordeaux in French Ligue 1.
Zahavi, a former sports journalist, is registered as a player agent in England and lives in London and Tel Aviv.
Belgian police charge former Neymar agent Zahavi with ‘swindling’
https://arab.news/9nkrq
Belgian police charge former Neymar agent Zahavi with ‘swindling’
- The Israeli businessman, Pini Zahavi, was charged with "forgery and use of forgeries", "swindling" and "money laundering"
- Zahavi was an intermediary in the record-breaking deal that took Neymar to PSG
Paul Casey and Anirban Lahiri re-sign for Crushers GC ahead of new LIV Golf season
- Crushers to maintain same roster for a record fifth consecutive season under captain Bryson DeChambeau
- Team returns in 2026 Season as most successful team in LIV Golf history, with eight regular-season team titles and one team championship
NEW YORK: Crushers GC of the LIV Golf League has solidified its roster for the 2026 season with the confirmed return of team veterans Paul Casey and Anirban Lahiri, who once again will team up with captain Bryson DeChambeau and Charles Howell III following an accomplished 2025 showing that included three consecutive team victories in 2025 at LIV Golf Korea, Virginia, and Dallas.
“Keeping this core together for 2026 positions us to build on the momentum we carried out of 2025,” DeChambeau said. “This group knows what it takes to win; we lifted the trophy in 2023 and finished second last season, and that experience fuels our drive to compete at the top week in and week out. We’re a team of competitors, creators, and leaders who take pride in pushing the game forward, and having this group return gives us continuity, confidence, and a clear direction as we raise our standards heading into next season.”
Crushers GC enters the 2026 season with a clear identity rooted in inspiration, energy, and creativity, built to push boundaries and expand its global footprint. Led by DeChambeau, the Crushers combine elite competition with a creator-first mindset, using connection, innovation, and global reach to ignite fandom. The team prides itself on making golf more accessible, entertaining, and engaging, blending high-performance play with education, mentorship, and social-first storytelling that resonates with modern fans.
DeChambeau returns as one of the sport’s most exciting and influential figures. His power game has remained elite; he impacted both individual and team performance in 2025, winning the individual title at LIV Golf Korea and finishing third in the season-long individual Championship race. He also led Crushers GC to three consecutive victories in 2025 in Korea, Virginia and Dallas.
Paul Casey returns as a steadying force within the Crushers lineup, and as one of the most consistent players on the LIV Golf circuit. A proven winner with more than two decades at the highest level of professional golf, Casey has won 21 times in 13 different countries on his way to becoming one of the sport’s most popular players. His precision, consistency, and competitive intelligence remain central to the team’s pursuit of excellence. Casey recorded four top-10 finishes in 2025, and finished runner-up at LIV Golf Dallas in a four-man play-off.
Two-time Olympian Lahiri begins his fourth full season with Crushers GC after providing a reliable and consistent presence, anchoring the back of the lineup to keep things steady. A trailblazer whose career spans victories and contention across multiple tours, Lahiri is one of the most decorated Indian professional golfers, having earned 18 professional wins worldwide.
Howell continued to be a steady backbone for Crushers GC throughout the 2025 season, underscoring his value as one of the league’s most consistent and dependable competitors. The veteran posted six top-24 points finishes, including two top-five results in Crushers GC’s three team wins, proving he delivers when it matters most in big moments. Howell is the only other Crusher besides DeChambeau to win a LIV Golf individual title, having done so in Mayakoba in 2023. Whether anchoring the team’s deep lineup or contributing key points in high-pressure situations, Howell’s blend of consistency, experience, and measured excellence helped fuel Crushers’ run in 2025 and sets a tone for his role heading into 2026.
With their full 2025 roster returning, Crushers GC enters the 2026 season tied as most successful team in LIV Golf history, with eight regular-season team titles and one team championship.
