Italian third division club Crotone under court control for Mafia infiltration

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ROME - Italian third division club Crotone has been placed under judicial administration for a year as police found sufficient evidence of pervasive Mafia infiltration, prosecutors said on Tuesday.

Crotone, based in the southern Calabria region that is home to the powerful Ndrangheta Mafia, currently sits seventh in group C of the Serie C league, on five points from four games.

It played in the top Serie A league for two consecutive seasons almost 10 years ago, and one more time in 2020-2021.

Tuesdays decision means the club will continue its sporting activities, but under the supervision of court-appointed administrators. The club itself is not under investigation.

The prosecutors office of the city of Catanzaro said in a statement that FC Crotone had been subjected, over the last decade, directly or at least indirectly, to conditions of intimidation and subjugation by members of local Ndrangheta clans.

The local mob had, in particular, infiltrated the clubs security and ticketing operations, and the judicial administration regime is expected to help steer its economic activities back onto a legal path, prosecutors said.

The club did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Mafia infiltration of Italian soccer, including its lucrative merchandising and ticketing businesses, is a well-known phenomenon, with recent investigations targeting hardline ultra fan groups at top clubs Inter and AC Milan. REUTERS