In the wake of Juventus being handed a 15-point deduction for capital gains fraud earlier during the 2022/23 Serie A campaign, other significant Serie A clubs are becoming the focus of similar investigations, with capital city duo AS Roma and Lazio the latest to see the Guardia di Finanza combing through their administrative offices.
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, both the Rome and Tivoli (a town 30 kilometres to the capital’s northeast) prosecutors are examining the activities of Claudio Lotito as Biancocelesti owner, but also his previous custodianship of Salernitana. The latter ended in December 2021 because of rules prohibiting the ownership of two Serie A clubs.
The Giallorossi investigation stretches across the tenure of both previous president James Pallotta and current owner Dan Friedkin, as the prosecutor’s concerns arise from transfers involving the club between 2017 and 2021, shortly after the Friedkin Group acquired AS Roma a year earlier.
Inquiries extend beyond ownership
The owners are naturally at the forefront of news coverage, but several key individuals at both Roman clubs will also be questioned. There are nine people under investigation for deals involving the Giallorossi, as well as current director Giorgio Francia and former members of the directorship, Umberto Gandini, Guido Fienga and Mauro Baldissoni.
At Lazio, director Igli Tare joins his boss in the limelight. Along with fellow board members Marco Cavaliere, Luciano Corradi, Angelo Fabiani, Angelo Marchetti and Marco Moschini, for their involvement at both the Aquile and Granata, before selling the latter to Ciro Iervolino.
AS Roma and Lazio deals under investigation
One deal interesting the authorities is the swap deal involving Italy Euro 2020 winner Leonardo Spinazzola and Luca Pellegrini during the summer of 2019. Spinazzola left Juventus for Roma in a deal that valued him at €29.5m, while Pellegrini headed in the other direction at a value of €22m. Pellegrini is now a Lazio player.
In addition, the transfer of current Juventus, Roma and Inter target, Davide Frattesi, to Sassuolo in 2017, without making a senior appearance for the Giallorossi, is under scrutiny for suspected irregularities. As is a deal that took Marco Tumminello to Atalanta from the capital a year later.
