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Napoli President De Laurentiis faces trial for alleged false accounting over Osimhen transfer
By Dayo Awoniyi
Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis is set to stand trial after a Rome judge approved an indictment accusing him of falsifying financial records related to Victor Osimhen’s blockbuster transfer from Lille.
Italian prosecutors allege that Napoli artificially inflated the valuations of youth players included in the transfer package, generating unlawful capital gains to strengthen the club’s financial position.
Napoli CEO Andrea Chiavelli and the club itself have also been charged, with the first hearing scheduled for December 2, 2026.
The investigation targets transactions conducted between 2019 and 2021, focusing heavily on the Osimhen deal as well as the transfer of former defender Kostas Manolas.
According to prosecutors, the club recorded “unjustified” player valuations intended to improve its balance sheet artificially.
Despite the criminal case proceeding, Napoli’s competitive status remains intact. The FIGC previously closed its sporting inquiry into the matter after determining that no new evidence warranted further disciplinary action.
Fresh details emerging from the investigation include alleged wiretapped conversations obtained by Italy’s Guardia di Finanza.
In one intercepted exchange, a Napoli official reportedly urged colleagues to avoid leaving digital traces, warning: “You must not write anything… leave no trace in emails.”
The trial adds a dramatic new chapter to the long-running controversy surrounding Osimhen’s transfer, one of the most expensive deals in Italian football history.
