Bates in Blast at Chelsea 'Rip-Offs'; 'If You Come from Siberia You Can Get All You Want'

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Byline: MATT LAWTON

KEN BATES has claimed that Chelsea have been ripped off by agents who send in 'dodgy videos' of their players.

In an extraordinary attack on Roman Abramovich's Russian revolution, the former Stamford Bridge chairman said the club paid [pounds sterling]5million over the odds for Joe Cole and Scott Parker and should not have bought Hernan Crespo or Adrian Mutu.

Bates, who suggested that Abramovich's lack of football knowledge made him vulnerable to football's middlemen, said: 'In 2003 we had options on Joe Cole and Scott Parker for a total of [pounds sterling] 12 m.

Abramovich was advised they weren't good enough and not to buy …