Juventus President Andrea Agnelli will testify in front of the Anti-Mafia Commission and is “happy to clarify anything” regarding tickets to ultras.
Today the President of the Commission, Rosy Bindi, confirmed today that Agnelli would be present after speaking to Juventus lawyer Luigi Chiappero.
“There have never been wiretaps or other evidence regarding the Juventus President, never a reference to a meeting – nothing,” noted Chiappero.
Juventus President Andrea Agnelli will testify in front of the Anti-Mafia Commission and is “happy to clarify anything” regarding tickets to ultras.
Today the President of the Commission, Rosy Bindi, confirmed today that Agnelli would be present after speaking to Juventus lawyer Luigi Chiappero.
“There have never been wiretaps or other evidence regarding the Juventus President, never a reference to a meeting – nothing,” noted Chiappero.
“There are two telephone calls between the President and security manager Alesssandro D’Angelo, and six phone calls in which other people speak about the President in a manner irrelevant to the tickets.
“In any case, we are totally at your disposal and happy to clarify everything by coming here to give his contribution.
“It is necessary to distinguish between what happened up until July 2016 and what happened afterwards, when Juve employees took on the role of witnesses.
“The case revolves around Rocco Dominello, who is currently on trial for association with the Ndrangheta (Calabrian mafia), who claims that our security manager Alessandro D’Angelo, dealt with some ticket allocation and communication with the fans.
“At a certain point Rocco Dominello came into contact with D’Angelo – this person was and at this moment still is without any criminal record.
“There are no invitations to weddings, baptisms or anything else. Alessandro D’Angelo, the security manager of Juve, quite simply speaks to a man who is a regular in the Curva and has a clean criminal record.
“D’Angelo had no idea he was speaking to anyone other than a representative of the ultras.”
President of the Anti-Mafia Commission Bindi replied that “we are worried you are denying the existence of this phenomenon: are you continuing to give tickets to the ultras?
“Now we need to find the opportune instruments to make all those in sport aware of the risks and therefore able to protect the entire system of professional football, which includes clubs that are floated on the stock exchange, from any risk of illegal activity.
“All of this suggests the strength of the mafia is in being underestimated.”
Italian clubs have always had a very strong rapport with the ultras groups and not all of those in the Curva have a clean criminal record.
Unlike in football teams elsewhere in Europe, the ultras organised groups tend to have a surprising amount of access to the players, club chiefs and receive occasional tickets.
Some groups also licence the merchandising rights from clubs.