Mohamed Al Fayed ‘appreciated younger blonde women’ at Fulham – however coach protected them

The late billionaire Mohamed Al Fayed, who has been accused of raping several women, was said to take a preference to ‘young blondes’ at Fulham Football Club, which he owned for 16 years.

Former manager of Fulham’s women’s team, Gaute Haugenes, spoke out and said extra precautions had to be placed to ensure women playing for the team weren’t left alone with Al-Fayed. Haugenes managed the ladies team from 2001 to 2003.

Five women alleged this week that they had been raped by Al Fayed while working at Harrods department store. He died last year aged 94 and a number of others are also claiming sexual misconduct.

READ MORE: Mohamed Al Fayed was a ‘monstrous combination of Savile and Epstein’, lawyers claim

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A press conference which set out the claims made against the late Harrods’ owner heard there was a “systematic failure of corporate responsibility”. Lawyers working for his alleged victims also spoke out and said he has a “monstrous” combination of Jimmy Saville, Jeffrey Epstein and Harvey Weinstein.

Fulham have also spoken out and released a statement expressing their sadness upon learning about the horrid allegations. The Cottagers said they were “deeply troubled and concerned” by the “disturbing” reports about Al Fayed as the owner of Harrods.

Gaute took it one step further and revealed to the BBC that the news hardly came as a shock. “I read all the newspapers yesterday of course and to be honest it’s not the biggest surprise,” he said.

“We were aware he liked young, blonde girls. So we just made sure that situations couldn’t occur. We protected the players.” He added that he was paid by Harrods, rather than Fulham, during his time at the club.

“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,” he said.

Fulham are currently carrying out an investigation to find out whether any women at their club were affected by Al Fayed. He bought Fulham for a reported £30m in 1997 and regularly attended games and training sessions during his time as owner.

Lawyers representing the victims at Harrods reckon there are more victims out there. “We don’t at this stage represent any women who, for instance, sustained any attacks at Fulham Football Club but our investigations are obviously ongoing into all of these entities that he had an involvement in,” barrister Maria Mulla revealed at a London press conference on Friday.

“It’s highly unlikely that there are not victims out there from these other places of work. Wherever he went, there will be victims.”

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