Morgan Andersen, former director of Norwegian club Lyn, has been given a one-year suspended jail sentence for forging contracts relating to Nigerian midfielder John Obi Mikel in 2005.
The court said the documents effectively enabled Lyn to gain a slice of the player’s transfer fee they were not entitled to receive.
“The court is in no doubt the contracts were amended and Andersen knew this,” judge Torjus Gard said in his judgement.
Andersen told the court he would lodge an appeal.
Mikel was under 18 when he joined Lyn and was therefore given an amateur contract. After the midfielder turned 18, the Norwegian football authorities were presented with a professional contract Mikel has denied signing. The documents with Mikel’s signature on were taken from the amateur contract, the judge said.
Mikel joined Chelsea in June 2006 after announcing he would not join Manchester United from Lyn as expected. Mikel said he had been put under pressure to sign for United and wanted to move to Chelsea.
The player eventually signe for Chelsea after the club reached a settlement with United and Lyn under which they would pay the Old Trafford club £12m and Lyn £4m.
