False accounting inquiry targets Roma's American owners

Roma’s current and former American owners and Lazio president Claudio Lotito are among numerous officials at the two clubs being investigated by Italian authorities for false accounting via alleged abuse of capital gains in the transfer market

Italy Soccer Serie A (LaPresse)

Roma’s current and former American owners and Lazio president Claudio Lotito are among numerous officials at the two clubs being investigated by Italian authorities for false accounting via alleged abuse of capital gains in the transfer market.

Prosecutors in Rome (for Roma) and Tivoli (for Lazio) announced the investigations, which also involve a third Serie A club, Salernitana, and which resulted in financial police searches at offices for the clubs on Wednesday.

Prosecutors say the clubs involved earned profits by falsely reporting the values of players bought and sold on the transfer market.

Current Roma owners Dan and Ryan Friedkin, as well as former Roma owner James Pallotta, were named in the prosecutors’ report.

Lotito formerly owned Salernitana as well.

The transfer deals being examined occurred between 2017 and 2021.

All three clubs maintain that they operated within the rules.

Juventus and several other clubs in Italy have also been investigated for capital gains cases recently and in January the Italian soccer federation penalized Juventus 15 points in Serie A for false accounting.

Juventus, which denies wrongdoing, has appealed the 15-point penalty to Italy’s highest sports court within the Italian Olympic Committee, known as CONI. An appeal hearing at CONI is slated for April 19.

The soccer federation could now open an inquiry into accounting at Roma, Lazio and Salernitana.

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