Napoli President Stands Trial for Fraudulent Victor Osimhen Transfer, Risks Jail Time
- Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis will stand trial on charges of false accounting linked to Victor Osimhen’s 2020 transfer
- Prosecutors allege player valuations in the deal were artificially inflated, though Napoli faces no sporting sanctions
- De Laurentiis’ legal team calls the indictment “astonishing,” claiming misinterpretation of accounting rules and no financial gain for the club
Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis is set to stand trial over alleged financial irregularities linked to Victor Osimhen’s high-profile move from Lille in 2020.
The case, which has been in the spotlight for years, will now head to court, placing one of Italian football’s most influential figures under intense scrutiny.
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While Napoli faces no sporting sanctions, the legal implications for De Laurentiis could be significant, with the club chief potentially risking jail time if found guilty.
Why is Napoli president being investigated?
At the centre of the case is Osimhen’s blockbuster transfer, originally valued at around €80 million.
According to prosecutors, the deal was structured using artificially inflated valuations of four players included as part of the exchange, Gazeta Express reports.
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Greek goalkeeper Orestis Karnezis and three young talents, Claudio Manzi, Ciro Palmieri, and Luigi Liguori, were reportedly assigned values far beyond their true market worth.
Investigators argue that this move was designed to strengthen Napoli’s financial balance sheet at a time when clubs across Europe were reeling from the pandemic’s economic impact.
The inflated figures, they claim, amounted to false accounting, which is a serious offence under Italian law.
Alongside De Laurentiis, his long-time associate Andrea Chiavelli has also been ordered to stand trial, and the club itself is included in the proceedings.
Despite the allegations, Napoli’s league position, points, and sporting reputation remain unaffected.
The FIGC previously reviewed the case in 2022 and closed the sporting investigation, ruling that the alleged irregularities did not impact competition integrity.
Legal team condemns indictment
De Laurentiis’ lawyers reacted sharply to the court’s decision, expressing disbelief that the case would move forward, One Football reports.
In a joint statement, legal representatives Gaetano Scalise, Fabio Fulgeri, and Lorenzo Contrada described the indictment as “surprising,” insisting the evidence should have led to dismissal.
According to the defence, the Guardia di Finanza, Italy’s financial police, made errors in interpreting accounting regulations, and even prosecutors reportedly acknowledged that Napoli did not gain any advantage from the operation.
The legal team also criticised Italy’s preliminary hearing system, arguing that it has become an “unnecessary step” that often lacks transparency in its reasoning for advancing cases to full trial.
Their stance suggests they intend to challenge not just the accusations, but the process itself, aiming to demonstrate that the player valuations involved in the deal were subjective rather than fraudulent.
What lies ahead for Napoli and De Laurentiis
The trial is set to begin on December 2, 2026, marking the next chapter in a long-running legal battle that has hovered over Napoli’s boardroom for nearly half a decade.
While the club’s on-field fortunes remain insulated from the proceedings, the case poses a significant reputational threat to one of Serie A’s most prominent presidents.
For Victor Osimhen himself, the renewed spotlight adds another layer to a transfer already surrounded by controversy.
Osimhen led Napoli to their first Serie A title in 33 years in the 2022/23 season, emerging as the league’s top scorer before he departed from the club to Galatasaray.
How Osimhen was forced to join Napoli
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Osimhen has disclosed that he was pressured into signing for Italian club Napoli in 2020 while his father was on his deathbed.
The 26-year-old claimed that club officials and agents forced him to put pen to paper on the deal without his consent.
Source: Legit.ng
