Italian third-division club Crotone has been placed under judicial administration for one year due to evidence of Mafia infiltration. Prosecutors stated on Tuesday that police found "sufficient evidence" of pervasive Mafia infiltration.
Based in the Calabria region, home to the 'Ndrangheta Mafia, Crotone is currently seventh in Group C of the Serie C league. The club is not under investigation. The decision means Crotone will continue its sporting activities but under the supervision of court-appointed administrators.
The prosecutors' office in Catanzaro stated that Crotone had been "subjected, over the last decade, directly or at least indirectly, to conditions of intimidation and subjugation by members of local 'Ndrangheta clans". The 'Ndrangheta had infiltrated the club's security and ticketing operations. The judicial administration is expected to help steer the club's economic activities back onto a legal path.
Crotone played in Serie A for two consecutive seasons between 2016 and 2018 and again in 2020-2021.
The club stated that the court decision "does not even remotely suggest complicity or connivance by the club, its shareholders, or its managers and collaborators". The club also said it would collaborate with the court-appointed judicial administrators to continue its activities in the best interests of the club, fans, and sport.
Mafia infiltration of Italian football, including its merchandising and ticketing businesses, is a well-known phenomenon. Recent investigations have targeted hardline ultra fan groups at Inter and Milan.