11 Italian clubs acquitted of “financial fraud”, including Juventus and Napoli

Today, the Italian sports judiciary acquitted 11 clubs, led by Juventus and Napoli, and about 60 officials of the charge of accounting fraud in the transfers of football players in the past three years.

The Italian Football Association court, which has not yet published its rationale for the decision, appears to be in full agreement with the clubs that have disputed the federal prosecutor's accusations of inflating player transfer prices compared to those authorized.

"The court acquitted all the clubs, officials and administrators whom the public prosecutor demanded to be referred to the sports judiciary," the Italian Football Federation said in a statement.

"Justifications for the acquittal decision will be published in the coming days," he added.

Eleven clubs, including five in Serie A, have appeared before disciplinary bodies since Tuesday morning, with the public prosecutor in particular requesting a one-year suspension of Juventus president Andrea Agnelli and Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis for 11 months.

In addition to Juventus and Napoli, the other three clubs that appeared before the Court of Sports are Sampdoria, Genoa and Empoli, along with two second-tier teams, Parma and Pisa, two League Pro (third tier) teams, Pescara and Pro Vercelli, and two that no longer exist, Novara and Chievo Verona. .

These concerned clubs were particularly at risk of paying fines, but about 60 officials faced personal penalties amounting to suspension.

All clubs disputed the criteria used by the federal prosecutor to determine the value of players and questioned what prices were actually paid in transfers.

Thursday in the Corriere dello Sport newspaper, Napoli lawyer Mattia Grassani criticized in particular the "strange method that was used and which is not recognized by any body or authority", stressing the "independence of negotiation" of the clubs and the "impossibility of allocating individual objective criteria" to assess players, Or at least the absence of regulations in this regard.

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