Football transfers, at their heart, are simple transactions: one club buys a player, another sells. Yet, as with any multi-million-euro deal in the high-stakes world of professional sports, the devil often resides in the details – or, in this case, in the intercepted messages. The 2020 transfer of Nigerian star striker Victor Osimhen from French club Lille to Italian giants Napoli, a move that was meant to usher in a new era of attacking prowess for the Neapolitan side, is now once again embroiled in controversy.
New revelations, stemming from a probe by Italian financial police and detailed in a report by Repubblica, suggest that the deal, valued at a substantial €70 million, might have been artificially inflated. The core of the accusation? A creative accounting maneuver involving four lesser-known players, whose valuations seem to stretch the bounds of market reality.
The Anatomy of a Dubious Deal
The transfer of Osimhen saw Napoli reportedly pay Lille a significant sum, with a portion of the payment allegedly made through the inclusion of goalkeeper Orestis Karnezis and three young academy prospects: Luigi Liguori, Claudio Manzi, and Ciro Palmieri. These four players were collectively valued at an eyebrow-raising €20 million, a figure that appears notably disproportionate to their actual market standing.
The plot thickens with the revelation that these four players, once «transferred» to Lille, never actually set foot in France. Instead, they were promptly loaned out to various Serie C and D clubs in Italy, raising immediate questions about the true intent behind their inclusion in such a high-profile deal. Was this a genuine exchange of talent, or merely a financial contrivance to reach a predetermined, advantageous valuation for both clubs?
Whispers of «Robbery» and the Art of Digital Discretion
The most compelling evidence to emerge from the ongoing investigation comes in the form of intercepted conversations between key figures at Napoli. Messages exchanged between then-Sporting Director Cristiano Giuntoli (now at Juventus), his deputy Giuseppe Pompilio, and Napoli CEO Andrea Chiavelli paint a vivid picture of internal awareness regarding the unorthodox nature of the transaction.
In one particularly telling exchange, Chiavelli is quoted remarking, «Let`s hope they refuse… otherwise we`ll have to resort to robbery.» While potentially a sardonic jab born of negotiation pressures, in the cold light of a judicial inquiry, such words take on a rather more literal, and worrying, interpretation. Giuntoli, too, expressed discomfort, referring to the situation as «terrorism psychological.»
Perhaps the most illuminating instruction came from Pompilio, advising Giuntoli on handling sensitive information: «You must not write anything. Don`t leave any traces in emails. Say whatever you want verbally.» A masterclass in digital discretion, indeed, albeit one that now finds itself under the harsh glare of judicial review. One might wonder if such a policy was born of a genuine desire for efficient communication or a prudent (if ultimately unsuccessful) attempt to circumvent future scrutiny.
Lille`s Alleged Complicity and Internal Alarms
This saga isn`t just a Napoli affair. The investigation suggests an alleged collaboration from the French side as well. Former Lille president Gerard Lopez reportedly «proposed» to inflate the deal in an email, stating, «This, dearest, allows you to pay a lower price than any other club, but with a nominal value that is necessary to close the deal.»
However, not everyone at Lille was seemingly on board. Julien Mordacq, Lille`s administrative and legal director, raised internal alarms, warning the then-CEO Marc Ingla about the «risks associated with this deal» and the potential for «any detail deemed `strange` to generate questions» about the agreements involving the five players. Such warnings, it appears, were ultimately overlooked.
The Unfolding Legal Battle
Despite the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) having archived the sporting aspect of the case back in 2022, the judicial process continues its distinct path. Prosecutors Lorenzo del Giudice and Giorgio Orano have requested that Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis and CEO Andrea Chiavelli be sent to trial for false accounting. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for November 6, which could determine if the case proceeds to a full trial.
Napoli`s legal team has predictably countered these allegations, asserting that the intercepted phrases are «extrapolated from a much broader dialectical context» and do not demonstrate an «illicit scheme,» but rather «the normal dynamics of a negotiation related to the buying and selling of players, physiological in the sector.» They also expressed «astonishment» at the leaks of investigation documents, claiming a violation of privacy and the right to defense.
Broader Implications for Football Finance
The Osimhen case, much like similar «plusvalenze» (capital gains) investigations that have rocked Italian football in recent years, underscores a persistent challenge in the sport: the subjective nature of player valuations and the temptation to manipulate them for financial advantage. While football clubs operate in a unique economic ecosystem, they are not exempt from the principles of fair play and financial transparency, both on and off the pitch.
As the legal proceedings unfold, the football world will be watching closely. The outcome could set an important precedent for how player transfers, particularly those involving complex player swaps and inflated valuations, are scrutinized in the future, potentially pushing for greater clarity and accountability in an industry where multi-million-euro deals are commonplace, but transparency can often be elusive.
Elton Marrow