David Sullivan agreed to stay away from West Ham’s women and youth teams one-on-one following a historic complaint.

The former joint chair, who resigned last week, said he had entered a “temporary agreement” with the Football Association not to meet with any academy or women’s players alone while the body resolved a complaint about an incident in 1981.

The revelation comes after the BBC and The Times reported that the FA opened a safeguarding investigation in 2023 after receiving allegations about Mr Sullivan’s conduct.

Mr Sullivan said the agreement was not a “ban” and denied the event at the centre of the historic complaint ever took place.

Culture secretary Lisa Nandy said the FA must explain “why no further action was taken” following the investigation. It is understood that West Ham United and the FA refute this.

On Monday, the BBC and The Times reported the accounts of seven women who claimed Mr Sullivan engaged in sexually exploitative and predatory behaviour. The accounts from the women date back to the 1980s and 1990s, when he owned the tabloid newspapers Daily Sport and Sunday Sport.

According to the reporting, the claims about Mr Sullivan involve him pressuring young or aspiring models in their late teens or early twenties.

Mr Sullivan said the claims are “entirely false” and that he “categorically denies” them.

Ms Nandy said in a statement on Tuesday evening: “These latest revelations are utterly horrifying.

“If it is the case that an investigation concluded that there were sufficiently serious allegations to warrant a ban on contact with the youth and women’s teams, then the FA must explain this decision and why no further action was taken.

“I expect a full and urgent explanation from the FA and West Ham as to how these incredibly serious allegations have been handled.”

Mr Sullivan said the restriction was a “negotiated agreement” with the FA.

“I wish to clarify recent media reports regarding a negotiated agreement with the Football Association, which has been inaccurately described as a disciplinary ‘ban’,” he told The Independent.

“In my entire 16 years at West Ham United, I have never met any academy or women’s team players 1-2-1. Therefore, a negotiated and temporary agreement with the FA not to do so until the FA resolved an outstanding complaint in relation to a single anonymous complaint regarding an event in 1981 was entered into.

“The complaint had nothing to do about my time in football, and it never happened. I saw it as a meaningless restriction, as it didn’t impact on my work in any way, therefore I accepted it for a quiet life.”

The FA said it was unable to comment on individual safeguarding cases, but that it took all allegations “very seriously” and worked closely with police.

A spokesperson said: “We operate a robust safeguarding programme across every level of English football, and all referrals to us are handled in line with our rigorous and stringent policies and procedures.

“Appropriate action is always taken against individuals who pose or may pose a risk of harm to children and adults at risk in football.

“This includes issuing appropriate suspensions in accordance with our safeguarding regulations. The aim of our process is to safeguard children and adults at risk.”

A West Ham United spokesperson said: “West Ham United has clear and robust safeguarding measures in place, measures that are independently assessed and audited on an annual basis. The club is unable to comment or provide details on any individual safeguarding matter as per safeguarding best practice.”

In a statement announcing he was stepping down as chair of West Ham at the weekend, Mr Sullivan said: “The false allegations levelled against me have been sensationalised by the media.

“After a lifetime spent building businesses in the adult industry, in which I have met thousands of women, it is sadly inevitable that a small number of improper conduct claims are being made against me.

“I categorically deny these claims.”

Cristiano Ronaldo’s former teammate, Hugo Almeida, has urged fans to lower their expectations regarding the five-time Ballon d’Or winner ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Ronaldo is set to feature in a record sixth World Cup tournament while hoping to help Portugal win their first-ever Mundial. Speaking to Lusa, as quoted by GOAL, Almeida expressed confidence about Ronaldo entering the tournament in ‘good form’.

“The age isn’t a problem, today we see many players at 39, 40, 41 years old arriving in great shape,” Almeida said. “Ronaldo prepares himself better and better and it is the competition that is missing from his curriculum and which he has been chasing for a long time. I believe he will arrive in good form.”

While Almeida dismissed concerns regarding Ronaldo’s age, he stressed that fans should not expect the performance of a player between 20 and 30 years of age from the 41-year-old. Instead, he noted that the Al-Nassr forward’s experience will prove invaluable for the Portugal national team at the World Cup.

“Now, we cannot expect a Ronaldo as loose as when he was 20 or 30 years old, but he is very experienced, the best of all time, and he makes the difference, without a doubt,” Almeida added.

Ronaldo and Portugal reached the quarter-final of the 2022 World Cup, where they were eliminated by Morocco. They have been placed in Group K of the 2026 World Cup alongside DR Congo, Uzbekistan, and Colombia.

“Ronaldo makes the difference” – Almeida offers opinion on Portugal team selection

Almeida further opined that while Ronaldo may be in the twilight of his career, he is the difference maker on the national team. There have been suggestions that Ronaldo should be dropped from the national team, with critics arguing that he is preventing young players from getting enough minutes.

Speaking to that, Almeida expressed confidence in head coach Roberto Martinez’s selections, insisting that the Spaniard ‘chose who gave him more guarantees’.

“The coach knows very well what he is going to do and has been preparing for the competition for a long time. He chose who gave him more guarantees, that is the most important thing,” Almeida concluded. “He could have a more fixed striker, but Portugal never play with fixed strikers. Goncalo Ramos has been doing well and Ronaldo makes the difference from one moment to the next.”

Ronaldo holds the record for Portugal’s most capped player and all-time leading scorer.