Local news outlets in Italy have reported that the country’s football watchdog, COVISOC, has sent a report to the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) concerning potentially suspicious financial activity surrounding transfers.
According to La Repubblica and Il Tempo, 62 player transfers over a two year period between 2019 and 2021 have been assessed, with the finances of Serie A giants Juventus in particular being placed under the microscope.
The report primarily focuses on player exchanges and recorded profits, with II Tempo reporting that the transfers of Pereira Da Silva to the Barcelona for € 7.886 million and João Cancelo to Manchester City for £27.4 million – the later deal saw Danilo transferred for Juve for a total transaction value of £60 million – have been highlighted as warranting investigation.
For Juventus, the allegations build on revelations last month that Italy’s market regulator CONSOB is investigating the club’s revenue generated from player trading activity, whilst the team continues to face scrutiny for its continued support for the breakaway European Super League (ESL) project.
According to Reuters, an italian official told the outlet that a federal investigation has been launched into the club regarding transfers, whilst local media have alleged that 42 of the 62 acoremtnieond deals being assessed involve the 36-time league champions. When contacted by Reuters, Juventus refused to comment.
In addition to Juventus, fellow Serie A club Napoli has also faced scrutiny, with II Tempo highlighting the transfer of striker Victor Osimhen from French Ligue 1 side Lille OSC for €71.25 million in exchange for Orestis Karnezis and Luigi Ligouri in July 2020 for which the Italian received ‘almost 20 million the amount of capital gains realised’.
However, COVISOC itself has noted that ‘the mutual trading of players constitutes a quid that often depends on the business model of each club’, adding that determining the true value of a player is ‘a notoriously difficult exercise and not assisted by an adequate level of scientific elaboration’.
Upon publishing the report, the watchdog has invited Giuseppe Chine, the FIGC’s Prosecutor, to examine the transfers it has highlighted as being potentially suspicious.
