A little less than four months after the European coronation, the Italy of football begins to tremble. The cause, 62 questionable transfers between 2019 and 2021 which have been the subject of great suspicion since yesterday from the Italian federation (FIGC). It is a report of the supervisory commission of Italian football clubs (Covisoc), and whose Republic got hold of a copy, which set fire to the powder. To make it short, the clubs concerned by this case tried to circumvent the rules of financial fair play by adjusting their accounting entries between the players bought and the players sold, modifying the gain of the players. In this game, the prize goes to Pescara and Parma who have managed to conclude no less than 11 transfers together over this period!
Juventus are also a prime target. Of the 62 suspicious transfers, the Old Lady alone concentrates 42! There is in particular a particular case, the deal between the Bianconeri and Barça in the summer of 2020. Miralem Pjanic went from the Italian club to the Catalan club against € 60 million, like Matheus Pereira, transferred for € 7.8 million. At the same time, Arthur Melo did the opposite for 72 M €, accompanied by a certain Alejandro Marqués, a 20-year-old striker at the time without any professional reference and sold … 8.2 M €. To give an idea, Transfermarkt estimated the value of the player, currently on loan to Mirandes in the Spanish 2nd Division, at € 300,000 a year ago.
Juventus cited in 42 of 62 suspicious transfers
Juventus has multiplied such cases in recent months. For example, there were 8 movements between the Piedmont club and Sampdoria alone, and 5 with Empoli. During the summer of 2020, Juve and Manchester City also negotiated some movements with Joao Cancelo, officially sold for € 65 million, and Danilo, passed to the Italian side against € 37 million. At the same time, the two directions agree for two transfers of young players, the Portuguese Felix Correia (20 years old) recruited by the Old Lady for 10.5 M €, while the Spaniard Pablo Moreno (19 years old) made the reverse path for 10 M €. Of course, these two hopes can be revealed but their value (1 M € each) at the time of these transfers and their current situation of substitute in 2nd division where they are loaned (Parma in Serie B for Correia and Girone in LaLiga 2 for Moreno ) force to ask a few questions.
Some French clubs have also negotiated transactions with the Turin giant. There is Amiens who recovered Rafael Fonseca (2 appearances in Ligue 2 in a year and a half) against 1.5 M €, in exchange for a transfer of the hope Félix Nzouango for 1.9 M €. The name of OM is also mentioned in this case. Last January, the Phocéens negotiated with the Old Lady so that Marley Aké goes to the other side of the Alps, Franco Tongya making him the opposite way for the same amount of 8 M €. Finally, the LOSC is also in the sights of this investigation with the transfer of Victor Osimhen to Naples for 72 M € during the summer transfer window 2020. We knew the complex deal but it is especially the four Neapolitan players engaged “in exchange” by the Mastiffs who challenge.
Lille, Marseille and Amiens also concerned
Orestis Karnezis, 35 at the time of the incident, is currently the third goalkeeper for the Northerners, who recovered him one year from the end of his contract against 5.1 M €. We can judge that there was probably a better accounting operation but the other three cases are much more equivocal. According to the Covisoc report, Claudio Manzi (21) was recruited by LOSC in Naples against 4M €. He was loaned out to Fermana in Serie C, before leaving free last summer. He is still playing in Serie C, at Turris. Luigi Liguori (23) also made the trip between Naples and Lille in 2020 for € 4m, then was also loaned to Fermana and Lecco in Serie C. He left the Mastiffs free this summer to join for Afragolese in Serie D. Finally, the last case is the most telling. Ciro Palmieri (21) also plays in Serie D, in Nocerina where he arrived free last August. However, Lille had recruited him € 7m a year earlier before lending him to Fermana.
It remains to be seen what the targeted clubs risk now. According to Gazzetta dello Sport, there is the possibility of sanctions from the Italian football federation if there has been “Administrative offense, aimed at evading the law in matters of management and economy.” The Italian daily mentions the possibility of fines, especially if the UEFA rules are also flouted. On the other hand, the case would become more serious if it is proved that these capital gains are abusive. For example, the Chievo Verona had been deprived of 3 points in 2018, precipitating its slow agony. It is this motive of “excessive surplus value” which will be complicated to prove because who defines the value of a player? It is ultimately an abstract concept but the abuses, as we have seen, are very numerous, almost systemic. The Italian federation is also looking for a tool capable of preventing this kind of abuse, before everything gets worse. Especially in times of economic crisis …
