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
Smash GC announces 2026 LIV Golf roster as Harold Varner III joins lineup
- Talor Gooch-led team returns with lineup built for depth and competitiveness as LIV Golf kicks off new season in Riyadh
NEW YORK: Smash GC of the LIV Golf League today announced its official roster for the 2026 season with the addition of Harold Varner III. Varner joins newly minted captain Talor Gooch and returning veterans Jason Kokrak and Graeme McDowell.
The team blends winning pedigree, global experience and a competitive edge, reinforcing the team’s identity as one of LIV Golf’s most battle-tested lineups.
Varner, who made his LIV Golf debut in 2022, brings a mix of global experience and personal drive. He earned his first LIV Golf individual win in 2023 at LIV Golf DC after sinking a hole-out from the bunker for a birdie mid-round to claim a one-stroke victory. He joins Smash GC after a steady performance in 2025 with 4Aces GC, when he finished in the top 10 four times.
“Smash GC is a team that competes with confidence and edge,” Varner said. “I’m excited to join a group that believes in what it’s building and is focused on winning. I’m ready to get to work and contribute meaningfully in 2026.”
Gooch will lead Smash GC in 2026 after being officially named captain last December. One of LIV Golf’s most accomplished and consistent performers, he brings a performance-driven mindset and a deep understanding of team competition. He reunites with Varner after the two played together with RangeGoats GC during 2023, which was both Gooch’s and Varner’s most successful LIV Golf season.
In addition to Varner’s DC win, Gooch won three tournaments and the season-long individual championship. Rounding out the 2026 roster are Kokrak, who has delivered key individual and team performances throughout his LIV Golf tenure, and McDowell, the 2010 US Open champion and longtime Ryder Cup standout who brought steady play to the 2025 season combined with his experience, leadership and competitive instincts.
“Adding Harold to Smash GC is a big move for us, and I couldn’t be more excited to reunite with him in 2026,” Gooch said. “He’s proven he can compete at the highest level and, as captain, I’m excited about how he strengthens our lineup and pushes our standards forward. We’re building a team that expects to contend every week, and Harold is a big part of that.”
Smash GC enters the new season following a 2025 campaign defined by resilience and competitiveness. With strong team performances and consistent individual contributions, the club laid a foundation it now aims to build upon under refreshed leadership and a reinforced roster.
