Juventus are consulting lawyers to protect the club's "honour and integrity" after a newspaper report linked club officials to hardline ultra-fans with organized crime connections via a ticket touting scam. A report in Rome-based daily Il Fatto Quotidiano newspaper on Thursday claimed Juventus president Andrea Agnelli had met with ultra leader Rocco Dominello, who was arrested for association with the 'Ndrangheta. The report claimed the Calabrian mafia organization infiltrated groups of ultra fans who follow the club, touting tickets supplied by Juventus for profit. Dominello, reportedly introduced to Agnelli by another former ultra leader, was discovered to have links with the 'Ndrangheta during an investigation into several Turin-based families with links to the southern Italian criminal syndicate. Juventus vehemently denied the claims surrounding Agnelli in a statement which said: "In light of certain articles published in recent days, Juventus Football Club and President Andrea Agnelli have entrusted the protection of their honour and integrity to lawyers. "It is noted the Turin public prosecutor has recently concluded an investigation into certain families considered to belong to the 'Ndrangheta,who have been charged with criminal behaviour and the attempted infiltration of some of the activities of Juventus Football Club. "It was also noted that no employee or affiliate has been investigated in criminal court. It is also noted that... the club has always co-operated by maintaining strict confidentiality to maintain the secrecy of the investigation." Juventus, bidding for a record sixth consecutive Serie A title, sit top of the Italian championship with a one-point lead on Roma ahead of Sunday's visit to Sassuolo
WOW Surprise surprise. The FIGC is criticizing police from shining a light on Juve: http://www.football-italia.net/100128/figc-slams-media-driven-anti-mafia The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) has slammed the Anti-Mafia Commission for running a “media-driven” trial against Juventus. Juve President Andrea Agnell has been called to testify at the Anti-Mafia Commission after the FIGC deferred him and the club to the Disciplinary Commission for knowingly interacting with members of organised crime. “On the ticket case involving Juve, we’re not worried: we need to deal with sporting justice, but it seems to me that this trial is being media-driven,” Gazzetta dello Sport reports FIGC director-general Michele Uva as saying. “The courts must be able to take their own course with peace of mind, but it seems to me that the Anti-Mafia Commission is carrying out a very media-driven trial and this is no good for football or Italy. Football gives media exposure and this is evident at this time.” However, the Anti-Mafia Commission’s Vice-President, Claudio Fava, hit back: “If the director-general of the FIGC defines a criminal investigation into the infiltration of the [criminal group] ‘Ndrangheta in the circuit of supporter groups as something trivial, there’s something to be concerned about. “If you then ask the Anti-Mafia Commission to focus on something else, there’s another thing to be embarrassed about.”