The ongoing investigation into alleged financial irregularities in Italian football has taken a new turn, with former Roma president James Pallotta and five other ex-executives facing potential indictment. Meanwhile, the high-profile trial involving Juventus is set to resume, marking a critical juncture in the Serie A plusvalenza scandal.
Calciomercato report that Public prosecutor Renata Cerasa has requested that Pallotta be brought to trial, along with former Roma officials Umberto Gandini, Guido Fienga, Mauro Baldissoni, Francesco Malknecht, and Giorgio Francia. The charges against them include false accounting and violations of financial intermediation regulations, stemming from transfer dealings between 2018 and 2020.
The transactions under scrutiny involve several high-profile moves, including Leonardo Spinazzola’s transfer from Juventus to Roma, Luca Pellegrini’s move in the opposite direction, and the swap deal that saw Radja Nainggolan join Inter Milan with Davide Santon and Nicolò Zaniolo moving to Roma. Other deals under investigation include Bryan Cristante’s transfer from Atalanta, Kostas Manolas’ move to Napoli, and various transactions with Sassuolo.
It’s worth noting that the current Roma ownership, led by the Friedkin family, is not implicated in the investigation and has been recommended for dismissal from the case.
Concurrently, the trial involving Juventus is set to resume today. The Turin giants, along with former president Andrea Agnelli, Pavel Nedved, Maurizio Arrivabene, and Fabio Paratici, face charges including market manipulation, obstruction of regulatory authorities, and false invoicing. The case, initially handled in Turin, was transferred to Rome following a ruling by the Court of Cassation on territorial jurisdiction.
As the second hearing commences in Rome, additional requests for civil party constitution are expected. The Italian stock market regulator Consob, shareholders, consumer associations, and investment funds have already submitted over 200 such requests to investigating judge Anna Maria Gavoni.
