For the first time in the Italian football scene, a sports club has been placed under judicial control in application of Article 34 of the Anti-Mafia Code. The measure concerns Calcio Foggia 1920, a Serie C club, and was adopted following serious episodes of intimidation and pressure exerted by individuals believed to be close to local organised crime, with the aim of conditioning the club’s management choices and obtaining illicit economic advantages.

A protective measure, not a punitive one

As highlighted by Michele Laforgia, lawyer for President Nicola Canonico, the measure is protective in nature, considering that “Judicial control is not a sanction against the company, but a guarantee to allow its management in a context threatened by external interference.”

This measure was made possible thanks to the timely reports by President Canonico, which led to the intervention of the District Anti-Mafia Directorate and subsequently the Court – Prevention Measures Office, and came about after months of pressure, culminating in extremely serious incidents, including the discovery of an explosive device in the car of President Canonico’s son. The investigations have uncovered attempts to influence not only the administrative management but also the technical decisions, to the point of influencing market decisions relating to players.

The measure does not replace the ownership or operational management of the club, but provides for the appointment of a judicial administrator – in the case of Foggia, Vincenzo Chionna – with the task of monitoring and ensuring ‘transparency’ in the running of the club. As Laforgia reiterates, this is a form of support for a company at risk of mafia influence.

Future prospects

Thanks to this measure, the company will be able to approach negotiations for its future with greater peace of mind, under the supervision of the court, ensuring transparency and legality in its management.

The Foggia case represents an important legal precedent: the application of judicial control to a sports club demonstrates how the law can offer tools to protect healthy businesses in contexts with a high risk of mafia infiltration, without blocking their economic or sporting activities.

Full article at sporteconomy.it