Patrick Kluivert Reportedly Owed Criminal Gang over €1M in Gambling Debts

Former Barcelona star and current Paris Saint-Germain director of football Patrick Kluivert was reportedly blackmailed by a criminal gang for years after building up a gambling debt of over €1 million.

Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant (h/t EFE, for Marca) published the allegations on Saturday. Per the report, the debt built up in 2011 and 2012, when Kluivert was a reserve-team coach at FC Twente. At the time, it was not illegal to gamble on your own club's matches. 

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The former Netherlands international is not being investigated for match-fixing, and the debt is mostly repaid, per the report.

His lawyer, Gerard Spong, emphasised the ongoing investigation revolves around the criminal gang, not Kluivert. Per the report, Spong said his client is a "victim."

Kluivert was a member of Ajax's Golden Generation and rose to fame in 1995, when he scored the winning goal in the 1995 UEFA Champions League final at the age of 18.

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He played his best football for Barcelona and had stints with the likes of AC Milan and Newcastle United. Kluivert played his final match in 2008 and immediately went into coaching, first as an assistant with AZ Alkmaar.

Since 2016, the 40-year-old has been with PSG, where he has become one of the team's main spokesmen in the media. His son, Justin Kluivert, stayed in the Netherlands and is currently a top young talent with Ajax.