Oct 03 2008
Zenit St. Petersburg distanced itself on Thursday from reports of an alleged attempt by Russian mafia figures to fix last season’s UEFA Cup semifinal between the Russian football club and Bayern Munich. Continue Reading »
Oct 01 2008
European football’s governing body was urgently seeking information from Spanish authorities on Wednesday night after newspapers there reported that Russian mafia claimed to have ‘bought’ UEFA Cup glory for Zenit St Petersburg. Continue Reading »
Sep 28 2008
According to daily La Repubblica, Mafia Capos and picciottis (soldiers) were regularly allocated at least 100 VIP tickets to sit at the Stadio Renzo Barbera.
Pentiti – those who were formerly part of the “family” and have now repented – have disclosed all the details behind this established system. Continue Reading »
Sep 25 2008
Palermo — Italian Mafia bosses were given at least 100 free ticket to football games whenever Sicily’s professional team, Palermo, played at home, according to police prosecutors.
The seats were given to the Mafia bosses and divided among members of the Mafia ‘families’ of Palermo, reported Italian daily La Repubblica on Thursday. Continue Reading »
Sep 24 2008
Explosive Palermo President Maurizio Zamparini has stressed that his club is completely clean from any association to the Mafia, and has boasted that any such crime organizations cannot touch the Rosanero while he is in control.
The city of Palermo, as the capital of Sicily, has always had its inevitable links to the Mafia, with the Italian island widely regarded as the birthplace of the Cosa Nostra. Continue Reading »
Sep 11 2008
Some of Italy’s most violent football fans have criminal connections with the mafia, the Italian government claims, pledging to bring in tougher measures to deal with hooliganism.
Italy was shocked when hundreds of fans went on a rampage in railway stations in Naples and Rome at the end of August, vandalising trains, intimidating passengers and letting off flares. Continue Reading »
