Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho believes anyone in football who accepts illegal payments needs to be punished and outed in a bid to clean up the game.
A number of figures have been subject to allegations during a week which has raised questions over the state of the game.
Agent Pino Pagliara, a central figure in the newspaper's probe, has admitted he lied about current and former Premier League managers taking bribes - and Mourinho is concerned the conjecture is hurting football.
"What I don't like - to be honest I hate and don't accept it - is the rumour," the Manchester United boss was quoted as saying in various newspapers.
"You cannot make fun with rumours and this is too serious to listen to rumours.
"You find a person, you prove a person guilty, and yes the world has to know and you don't have to hide anything.
"But the rumours are not good. The doubts are not good. That is the only thing I say."
Sam Allardyce left his post as England manager after just 67 days after being secretly filmed by undercover reporters, and Mourinho added: "In relation to Sam specifically, I feel sorry as I know that was his dream job.
"But if he and the Football Association realise it was a mistake, he has to pay for the mistake."
