Crystal Palace confirm exit of sporting director Dougie Freedman – with disgraced Iain Moody in line for a more prominent position

• Dougie Freedman will leave Crystal Palace after eight years as sporting director 
• Iain Moody is reportedly in the frame to replace the outgoing 50-year-old
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By SIMON JONES and BEN WILLCOCKS

Crystal Palace sporting director Dougie Freedman is leaving his role at the club as he considers taking up a position with the Diriyah Company in Saudi Arabia.

The 50-year old has been with Palace since 2017 and was responsible for recruiting the likes of Michael Olise, Eberechi Eze, Marc Guehi, Adam Wharton and Dean Henderson.

He was previously courted by Manchester United and Newcastle but his work has alerted those looking to develop multi-club models in the Middle East.

Palace are looking to re-shape their recruitment team as a result with Iain Moody likely to take up a more prominent position.

Freedman said: ‘To be leaving the club with a squad full of exciting talent led by an excellent manager, I truly believe the foundations are in place to be built upon.’

Palace chairman Steve Parish added that Freedman had been ‘instrumental in everything we have done over the past eight years.’

Crystal Palace sporting director Dougie Freedman has left the club, it has been confirmed

Freedman will take on a new job ‘overseas’, calling an end to his eight-year spell in the role

Ex-Eagles sporting director Iain Moody is being lined up as a contender to succeed Freedman

According to the Telegraph, former Eagles sporting director Iain Moody is being lined up as a contender to succeed Freedman. 

The outlet also claims that Freedman is potentially set to take a job in Saudi Arabia.

Moody’s return to Selhurst Park could be viewed as highly controversial, given the manner in which he left the club back in 2014.

Moody, who was appointed Crystal Palace sporting director in 2013, resigned under controversial circumstances after it was alleged he had sent racist, homophobic and sexist text messages to former Cardiff City manager Malky Mackay, whom he had worked with until moving to Selhurst Park.

Despite resigning, Moody continued to hold a close relationship with Steve Parish and has been pictured from time to time at Selhurst Park since his exit, watching games near the Palace chairman.

For the past decade, he has been rebuilding his reputation as managing director at Sapienza Football Consulting.

Moody opened up on his Eagles exit in an interview with Crystal Palace fanzine Five Year Plan back in 2015.

Moody resigned under controversial circumstances after it was alleged he had sent racist, homophobic and sexist text messages to former Cardiff City manager Malky Mackay(above)

Despite resigning, Moody (centre) continued to hold a close relationship with Steve Parish (right) and has been pictured from time to time at Selhurst Park since his exit to watch games

‘Good people sometimes do bad things. I’m not denying it was me, but that’s unrecognisable and it’s not a reflection of what I stand for,’ he said.

‘I’m the father of two young kids at the moment and it’s become the most important thing in my life that there is a proper framework or behaviour and expectation for them to be good people. 

‘So there’s a distortion. People get distorted, then things that people do are interpreted in a distorted way.’ 

Crystal PalacePremier League

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Crystal Palace confirm exit of sporting director Dougie Freedman – with disgraced Iain Moody in line for a more prominent position

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