Napoli were initially cleared of wrongdoing in the case, but the matter could be re-opened if new evidence comes to light
After successfully appealing Juventus’ capital gains case and imposing a hefty 15-point deduction on the Old Lady, the Italian Football Federation’s prosecutors have set their sights on league leaders, Napoli, for irregularities in the transfer that brought Victor Osimhen from Lille.
Napoli could face further investigtion for Osimhen’s transfer
Napoli’s €70 million capture of Osimhen from Lille raised eyebrows for irregularities surrounding the players who went in the opposite direction as part of the trade.
Four players, Orestis Karnezis, as well as youth team players Claudio Manzi, Ciro Palmieri, and Luigi Liguori, moved to Lille from Napoli for what many believed to be an inflated price of €20m.
With Juventus’ recent punishments, reports in Italy suggest that FIGC prosecutors now intend to go after other clubs that, along with Juventus, were previously let off the hook for possible capital gains violations.
In light of this, FIGC prosecutors are gearing up to ask for documents that could contain evidence of false accounting pertaining to Osimhen’s transfer from Lille to Naples.
If the findings end up being similar to those in the Juventus case, Napoli could also face severe sanctions, including a possible point deduction.
Napoli could lose out on the Serie A title
Ironically, it is Osimhen who has propelled Napoli to the brink of history. The Super Eagles’ forward has been in amazing form for Napoli, netting 13 goals in 15 Serie A games, helping Napoli to the top of the league standings.
I Partinopei are currently 12 points ahead of their closest rivals, AC Milan, having played a game more, and any point deduction will cut their lead at the top and bring their rivals back into the title race.
Even though the deduction is unlikely to be as bad as Juventus’, since they are under investigation for fewer offences than the Turin club, it could still throw a spanner in the works of Napoli’s quest for a first Scudetto since 1990.
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