Lazio players Mattia Zaccagni and Luca Pellegrini have been summoned by the Italian police as part of the investigation into the Players-Ultras relations.
The Background
The Italian authorities have been keeping close tabs on the relationship between organized crime and football fan groups, launching a major investigation on a nationwide scale.
In recent days, Lazio president Claudio Lotito appeared before a parliamentary anti-mafia committee, as did some of his fellow Serie A club presidents, namely Beppe Marotta (Inter Milan), Paolo Scaroni (AC Milan), and Aurelio De Laurentiis (Napoli).
Investigators Prepare to Question Mattia Zaccagni & Luca Pellegrini
According to Domani (via Calcio e Finanza), the investigators have decided to question Zaccagni and Pellegrini again after flagging discrepancies between their initial statements and information gathered by the authorities in recent months.
The source adds that the ongoing Lazio fan protest against Lotito is unrelated to the investigation, which instead focuses on allegations of illegal activities by members of ultra groups who leveraged their relationships with players and clubs.
Why Lazio Are Involved in the Investigation
The report adds that the investigation has yet to find any serious evidence in this regard, as the rapport between Lazio players and their fans has been limited to a simple exchange of jerseys, especially at the end of the matches.
Nevertheless, the investigation have been keeping a close eye on Lazio’s ultras since the 2019 incident that resulted in the murder of former Curva Nord leader Fabrizio Piscitelli. The latter was replaced by his right-hand man, Ettore Abramo, who has also been involved in illicit activities, and is currently in prison after a pre-trial detention order issued in December against him.
And many want Lotito to sell Lazio.
Look, I despise Lotito, but who wants to buy us? We’ve been linked to controversies from the beginning.
Any potential buyers with money power would think 10 times before investing in Lazio.