The affair about far-reaching accounting falsifications in Italian football spreads to three other clubs.
The public prosecutor’s office in Rome and in the nearby town of Tivoli are investigating against the Serie A clubs AS Roma, Lazio Roma and US Salernitana on suspicion of having fudged the books with bogus transactions relating to player transfers.
According to media reports, the accused include Lazio President Claudio Lotito and the two Roma owners Dan and Ryan Friedkin. Financial police officers searched the club’s business premises on Wednesday.
The case is about clubs buying and selling players among themselves, but attributing excessive market values to them and thus being able to post them more favorably on the balance sheet. Record champions Juventus Turin had been deducted 15 points in the current championship because of such machinations by the sports court of the football association.
Other clubs, which were originally accused as well as Juve, have so far escaped without punishment. However, the cases are still being investigated.
