Crystal Palace confirm exit of sporting director Dougie Freedman – with disgraced Iain Moody set to take up a prominent role in the club’s recruitment a decade after his controversial departure

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.’

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

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)

‘Mackay mired in text scandal’: Mail Sport exclusively reported on the shocking texts after launching a lengthy investigation (Pictured: This newspaper’s back page on August 21, 2014)

Moody, who was Crystal Palace sporting director for 11 months between 2013 and 2014, 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 in the wake of Mail Sport’s investigation and exclusive in 2014, 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.

‘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.’