Italian football clubs under probe for tax fraud

Naples: In an investigation targeted at dozens of clubs in top three football divisions in Italy, around 12 million euros worth assets from 58 individuals were seized by Italian tax police as alleged tax evasion.

The investigations were impounded after the request of prosecutors in Naples. The assets included cash, clubs and real estate. Assets seized were of a total of 64 people over an alleged tax fraud scheme.

The Investigation was started after the transfer of Lavezzi from Napoli and after the Paris Saint-German reported the probe regularly in 2012, which appears to involve 35 clubs in Serie A, Serie B and Lega Pro.

Aurelio De Laurentiis, Lazio owner Claudio Lotito, Serie A leaders Napoli, AC Milan director general Adriano Galliani, former Argentina international and Modena coach Herman Crespo, and Jean Claude Blanc, who manages Paris Saint-German are under investigation.

Several present as well as former Serie A players including Argentinian forward Ezequiel Lavezzi, Lazio agent Alessandro Moggi are also allegedly under probe along with Palermo owner Maurizio Zamparini, former Parma president Tommaso Ghirardi, former Juventus president Jean Claude Blanc.

According to prosecutors, instead of splitting with players, agents also charged entirely to the clubs.

While some marginal benefits for players were avoided by the system, the clubs then decreased the fees from their tax payments, prosecutors added.

In Italy, some Argentinean agents also avoided taxation by setting up with companies and by using wrong end documents.

Lazio's lawyer Gian Michele Gentile said that they also don't have any information regarding this as they also got to know through Media.

Lazio and Atalanta denied the 'wrongdoing' and said that they have full faith in the investigation.(Inputs from agencies)