The Rome Prosecutor’s Office has formally requested a trial for Napoli President Aurelio De Laurentiis and the club regarding alleged financial misconduct linked to the transfers of Kostas Manolas from AS Roma and Victor Osimhen from Lille. According to reports from ANSA (via Ilbianconero), the request also extends to Napoli’s CEO, Andrea Chiavelli.
Prosecutors have raised concerns over potential falsification of financial statements related to the years 2019, 2020, and 2021.
The focus of the investigation revolves around suspected inflated capital gains (plusvalenze) in player transactions, particularly the acquisitions of Manolas in 2019 and Osimhen in 2020.
Victor Osimhen joined Napoli in 2020 for a reported fee of €70 million. However, as part of the deal, Napoli transferred four players to Lille for a combined fee close to €20 million.
The valuation of three of these players has drawn scrutiny from investigators, as it may have contributed to artificially inflating financial figures.
Napoli’s 2021 financial statements revealed the following details regarding the players involved:
Ciro Palmieri was valued at €7.03 million, generating an equivalent capital gain.
Luigi Liguori was priced at €4.07 million.
Claudio Manzi was transferred for €4.02 million.
- Orestis Karnezis, the most experienced of the four, was valued at €5.13 million.
From a legal standpoint, the request for a trial means De Laurentiis, Chiavelli, and the club could face judicial proceedings. However, the implications in the realm of sports justice differ.
In 2022, the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) had closed the Osimhen case, previously absolving De Laurentiis.
Should new developments lead to a reopening of the case, the Napoli president could face a suspension, while the club might be subject to financial penalties or, in a worst-case scenario, a points deduction in the ongoing Serie A season.
The coming months will determine whether the case proceeds to trial and if Napoli faces further repercussions in Italian football.
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