Third Division Team Crotone Placed Under Judicial Management Due to Mafia Involvement
Italian third-tier soccer team Crotone has been placed under court-ordered management for one year after prosecutors uncovered “sufficient evidence” pointing to widespread Mafia infiltration.
Background on the Situation
Crotone, located within the southern region of Calabria—home to the notorious ’Ndrangheta Mafia—currently ranks seventh in Serie C on 5 points after four matches. The team previously competed in Serie A during two consecutive seasons nearly a decade back, including the 2020-21 season.
Implications of the Ruling
The recent judicial decision means that the club can carry on its football activities with the oversight of court-appointed managers. Notably, the club itself is not put under criminal inquiry.
Through a statement, Crotone stated how it will “actively collaborate with the court-designated administrators in continuing its operations for the benefit for the team, fans, and sport as a whole.” The club further stressed that the court decision “does not suggest complicity or connivance by the organization, its shareholders, nor its officials or staff.”
Prosecutors’ Report
According to the public prosecutor of Catanzaro, Crotone was “subjected, over the past decade, directly or at least implicitly, to situations of coercion as well as control from affiliates of area ’Ndrangheta clans.”
In particular, the local crime syndicate managed to penetrated the team's stewarding and ticketing divisions. This court-led administration regime should help steer the club’s financial dealings back to a legal path.
Broader Issue of Mafia in Italy’s Soccer
Criminal infiltration of Italy's football—covering its profitable merchandising and ticketing operations—is a well-known problem, with latest probes targeting radical hardcore fan factions at major teams such as Inter and AC Milan.
