The investigation by the Milan Public Prosecutor's Office, which targeted an illegal betting ring involving numerous Serie A footballers, has revealed an ingenious system for paying off gambling debts.
According to the prosecution, the footballers used a Milanese luxury store to covertly pay their creditors, purchasing designer watches and jewelry, but never receiving them. Specifically, the investigation revealed that the debts, accrued by the footballers through betting on illegal platforms, were "paid" with bank transfers made in the name of luxury watch purchases, including Rolexes , from a Milanese jewelry store.
Payments were made to the accounts of Elysium Group srl , but the watches remained in the shop, available to the organizers of the betting ring. The players, in fact, left with only the purchase invoice , without ever taking possession of the products. According to Prosecutor Marcello Viola, the system allowed the players to "extend credit" with the organizers, and once the debts became too onerous, they were directed to the jewelry store to pay via bank transfer, under the guise of legitimate purchases.
Nicolò Fagioli , a Fiorentina midfielder and former Juventus player , was directly implicated. His credit card was used to make wire transfers totaling €693.614. The transactions were used to cover losses from illegal betting, disguised as fictitious purchases of jewelry and watches.
During the investigation, approximately 1,5 million euros were seized from the Elysium jewelry store, while the magistrates requested the preventive seizure of the business for its involvement in the illicit system. The Guardia di Finanza reconstructed that the footballers, in addition to Fagioli, also used front men, including some colleagues not under investigation, to make the transfers in their names, using Postepay cards, Revolut current accounts and other methods to "clean" the payments.
The investigation uncovered total betting transactions exceeding €300.000 , with over €400.000 in cash collected through front men. The investigation, which had already implicated Fagioli and other footballers in the Turin investigation, was transferred to Milan for jurisdiction, broadening the scope of the investigation.
It is a very serious fact that footballers are involved in illegal betting and use shops to pay off debts. The situation must be clarified as soon as possible, because football must remain a clean and transparent sport.