Rome – Aurelio De Laurentiis, president of Napoli, concluded his hearing before the Parliamentary Anti-Mafia Commission's Committee on Mafia infiltration in sporting events and the links between organized crime and football clubs in less than an hour.
The Neapolitan club's president, summoned to Palazzo San Macuto around 8:30 a.m., addressed sensitive issues such as the phenomenon of the fans, ultras, and possible connections to crime, in a series of meetings involving Serie A leaders.
A short and confidential hearing
De Laurentiis entered the Commission's headquarters with his usual decisive demeanor, but upon leaving he offered only a laconic comment: "It went well." He did not respond, however, to journalists' questions about Napoli and coach Antonio Conte, maintaining a low profile on internal club matters.
The meeting, which lasted just under 60 minutes, is part of a broader investigation into the risk of criminal infiltration into organized fan circles, a problem that has plagued Italian football for years and has prompted the Commission to question key players in the sector.
The context: ultras, crime and pressure on clubs
The Committee, coordinated by Democratic Party Senator Walter Verini, focuses on issues such as illegal betting, mafia infiltration in the stadiums, and potential pressure exerted by ultras on sports management. De Laurentiis is not the first Serie A president to be questioned: the hearing is part of a busy schedule aimed at gathering useful information to counter these risks.
Verini has previously emphasized how clubs are actively collaborating, providing input for regulatory and operational interventions.
Previous hearings: from Juventus and Milan to Inter
Before De Laurentiis, the Commission had already interviewed several top figures in Italian football. On January 20, 2026, Gianluca Ferrero, president of Juventus, and Paolo Scaroni, president of AC Milan, were interviewed in hearings described as "positive" and focused on crime in the stands.
Next, on January 30, it was Giuseppe Marotta, CEO of Inter Milan, who provided "useful advice on fighting crime in stadiums," as Verini stated.
Among others, representatives of Roma were interviewed in the previous days, contributing to a worrying picture but with signs of cooperation from the clubs.
This afternoon, the Committee will continue with Urbano Cairo, president of Torino, and Umberto Marino, general manager of Atalanta, expanding the investigation to include additional Serie A clubs.
Towards more stringent measures against infiltration
These hearings represent an important step for the Italian Parliament in addressing the links between sport and crime. The focus on ultras and the stadiums is not new: past investigations have highlighted links between organized crime and extreme sports, as revealed in previous inquiries. The collaboration of the Serie A presidents could lead to new regulations to strengthen stadium security and prevent abuse, at a time when Italian football faces challenges both on and off the pitch.
Source EDITORIAL TEAM
Comments (1)
It's interesting to see how De Laurentiis addressed important issues but didn't provide many answers. Hearings are a way to address crime in sports, but more needs to be done to address the problem of the stadiums.