Lazio president Claudio Lotito has revealed shocking details about a series of death threats and pressure exerted on him in recent months. Yesterday, Italian police carried out searches against five suspects on the orders of the Rome prosecutor's office. They are being investigated for attempted blackmail and market manipulation against the owner of the Roman club.
“I turned to the institutions because repeatedly, even now - I receive death threats. I told everything that happened to me and the judicial authorities took action“, said Lotito, 68, after the news of the searches. According to the charges, the five exerted pressure through social media, false information, anonymous phone calls and abusive emails to force him to sell Lazio.
In the search warrant, prosecutors describe a “unified and broader plan“ aimed, on the one hand, at spreading false news that would lower the value of the club's shares, and, on the other, at forcing the majority owner to part with a controlling stake. Among the lies spread were allegations of an imminent sale of Lazio and even that Lotito deliberately wanted to send the team to a lower division in order to take advantage of a so-called state “parachute“ of 35 million euros.
The investigation began after a series of signals from Lotito: a banner reading “Lottito, free Lazio“, placed in front of the parliament building; an anonymous phone call with death threats; and numerous aggressive and abusive emails.
The case has rocked Italian football and brought into the spotlight a new, darker side of the pressure on football officials.