Napoli are now under the spotlights of Italian prosecutors for falsifying records related to Victor Osimhen’s transfer from Lille.
According to reports in Italy, the Italian prosecutors are requesting new evidence around Napoli’s transfer dealings, specifically the controversial agreement with Ligue 1 side Lille for Victor Osimhen.
The recent clampdown on top clubs in Italian football has been worrying and as well raised questions about the management and handling of these clubs by their respective boards.
Juventus suffered a heavy penalty following a trial that was brought to a logical conclusion in May 2022 with the Serie A giants previously absolved of all wrongdoings.
However, the case was forced to be reopened following new evidence which involved documents and tapes taken from the office of the club by the Italian prosecutors.
With new taps of evidence delineating incoherent and twisted transfer figures, it was evident the Serie A giants will be pounded.
Meanwhile, according to Italian media outlets, the Juventus case is just the tip of the iceberg. More earthquake investigations to be pioneered by prosecutor Giuseppe Chiné is expected with some top clubs earmarked for sanctions and heavy penalties.
The investigation will center on the ludicrous practice of clubs that artificially inflate and cook up high transfer fees to avoid taxation while trying to boost their capital gains.
An Italian media outlet, La Repubblica newspaper, confirmed Chiné is now on the doors of Napoli and has requested a copy of the evidence that the public prosecutor of Naples gathered during a fraud investigation into Napoli President Aurelio De Laurentiis.
Aurelio De Laurentiis’ office was raided in Naples, Rome, and France on June 21, 2022, and documentation was confiscated relating to transfers, including the Osimhen deal.
The deal involving the transfer of the Nigeria international raised suspicions and sparked reactions when it was confirmed the €72m plus €10m bonuses agreement included €20m in player exchanges.
The four players were goalkeeper Orestis Karnezis – who made only one appearance for LOSC – and three Napoli youth players who were immediately loaned out to lower division teams and then had their contracts terminated.
Nevertheless, it is expected more evidence will be needed to back up the position of the prosecutors to make conviction possible. But it is still unclear whether the evidence can be added, as the prosecutors secured their information mostly as confessions from several Juventus directors through wiretapped conversations.
Napoli’s lawyers, in a previous trial, argue that it was impossible to independently verify the transfer value of a player.
Notwithstanding, they are likely to lose out on the case because a new legal precedent was set after an appeal ruling declared such arguments baseless.
Victor Osimhen joined Napoli from Ligue 1 side Lille for a record €70m, making him the most expensive African footballer of all time.
So far this season, Victor Osimhen played 15 Serie A matches for Napoli scoring 13 goals and bagging three assists.
He has made 3 Champions League appearances for the club, scoring one goal.
