FIGC Prosecutor Seeks New Evidence in Napoli Financial Probe

The ongoing investigation into Napoli and its president Aurelio De Laurentiis has taken a new turn. The Rome Prosecutor’s Office has requested that De Laurentiis be brought to trial for alleged false accounting in Napoli’s financial statements from 2019 to 2021. In response, the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) Prosecutor’s Office may reopen the sports investigation into the matter.

According to reports, the FIGC Prosecutor’s Office will once again request access to the investigative documents from the Rome Prosecutor’s Office. These documents led to the indictment request for De Laurentiis on charges of false accounting.

The case revolves around alleged fictitious capital gains, particularly concerning the transfers of players Kostas Manolas and Victor Osimhen. In early 2024, the office led by Giuseppe Chiné had made a similar request, but the documents were not released due to ongoing investigative needs.

The sports justice system had previously conducted inquiries into the Osimhen transfer, resulting in the acquittal of both Napoli and De Laurentiis in April 2022. The Federal National Tribunal cleared the club and its administrators of all charges, and an appeal by the FIGC Prosecutor to the Federal Court of Appeal was rejected.

Subsequently, due to new investigations, the FIGC Prosecutor initiated a request for revocation. However, this only involved Juventus, as extraordinary circumstances were required to reopen a case on which sports justice had already ruled.

Upon receiving the investigation documents, the FIGC Prosecutor will need to determine whether the Rome Prosecutor’s new findings warrant reopening the case before the sports justice system.