The first step toward Taranto’s exclusion from the Serie C championship has arrived: the Federal Prosecutor’s Office has in fact issued a statement concluding the investigation accusing the club, in the persons of Salvatore Alfonso, sole director at the time, Mark Colin Campbell, Maria Acquaviva, and Massimo Giove for non-payment of quarterly emoluments from November 2024 to January 2025 and for the installments of the leaving incentives of two members of the club. The Federal Prosecutor’s Office also requested the application of recidivism.
Now the next step will be before the National Federal Court where the club and the defendants can defend themselves against the charges. If confirmed as described there will be exclusion from the league with the risk that it may take a month, and more, to reach a final decision.
The Federal Prosecutor,
Having read the acts of the investigation activity carried out in the disciplinary proceeding No. 760pf24-25, having as its object: “Reporting of the Co.Vi.So.C. regarding the non-payment by the Company Taranto F.C. 1927 S.r.l, by the deadline of February 17, 2025, of the net emoluments and redundancy incentives relating to the months of November and December 2024 and January 2025, as provided for in Article 85, letter A), par. V, point 2) of the N.O.I.F.”; Federal Prosecutor’s Office 2 OBSERVES AS FOLLOWS In the course of the preliminary activity carried out, acts of investigation were carried out and documents were acquired, among which appear to assume particular demonstrative value:
– report and investigative assessments carried out by the Co.Vi.So.C. referred to in note prot. no. 307/2025 of February 24, 2025;
– census sheets of the company Taranto F.C. 1927 s.r.l. relating to the 2024 – 2025 sports season;
– chamber of commerce visura of the company Taranto F.C. 1927 s.r.l.;
Considering that from the overall investigative activities carried out and the examination of the above acts and documents, the following behaviors appear to emerge, carried out by the following individuals:
– Mr. Salvatore ALFONSO, at the time of the facts, sole director with powers of representation of the company Taranto F.C. 1927 s.r.l.: – violation of Articles 4, paragraph 1, and 33, paragraph 3 letter d), of the Code of Sports Justice, in relation to the provisions of Article 85, letter A), par. V) point 2) third paragraph, of the N.O.I.F, for failing to have the same, by the deadline of February 17, 2025, to pay the net emoluments and leaving incentives due to registered members, employees and collaborators assigned to the sports sector with contracts ratified by the competent League, relating to the monthly payments for the quarter November – December 2024 and January 2025. Specifically, for failing to pay: – the emoluments due in favor of card-carrying members for the months of the quarter November – December 2024 and January 2025; – the installments of the redundancy incentives due in the months of November – December 2024 and January 2025 due to no. 2 card-carrying members;
with a request for the application of recidivism under Article 18, paragraph 1, of the Code of Sports Justice, for the conduct ascribed to and sanctions imposed on Mr. Salvatore Alfonso within the framework of the disciplinary proceedings registered under no. 307pf24-25, defined by decision No. 106/TFNSD-2024-2025 of 21 – 28.11.2024 of the National Federal Court, and No. 535pf24-25, defined by decision No. 134/TFNSD-2024-2025 of 28 – 31.1.2025 of the National Federal Court;
– Mr. Mark Colin CAMPBELL, at the time of the facts institore endowed with powers of representation of the company Taranto F.C. 1927 s.r.l.: Federal Prosecutor’s Office 3 – violation of Articles 4, paragraph 1, and 33, paragraph 3 letter d), of the Code of Sports Justice, in relation to the provisions of Article 85, letter A), par. V) point 2) third paragraph, of the N.O.I.F, for failing to have the same, by the deadline of February 17, 2025, to pay the net emoluments and leaving incentives due to registered members, employees and collaborators assigned to the sports sector with contracts ratified by the competent League, relating to the monthly payments for the quarter November – December 2024 and January 2025. Specifically, for failing to pay: – the emoluments due in favor of card-carrying members for the months of the quarter November – December 2024 and January 2025; – the installments of the redundancy incentives due in the months of November – December 2024 and January 2025 due to no. 2 card-carrying members;
with a request for the application of recidivism under Article 18, paragraph 1, of the Code of Sports Justice, for the conduct ascribed to and the sanctions imposed on Mr. Mark Colin Campbell within the framework of the disciplinary proceedings registered under No. 535pf24-25, defined by Decision No. 134/TFNSD-2024- 2025 of 28 – 31.1.2025 of the National Federal Court;
– Ms. Maria ACQUAVIVA, at the time of the facts institrice endowed with powers of representation of the company Taranto F.C. 1927 s.r.l.: – violation of Articles 4, paragraph 1, and 33, paragraph 3 letter d), of the Code of Sports Justice, in relation to the provisions of Article 85, letter A), par. V) point 2) third paragraph, of the N.O.I.F, for failing to have the same, by the deadline of February 17, 2025, to pay the net emoluments and leaving incentives due to registered members, employees and collaborators assigned to the sports sector with contracts ratified by the competent League, relating to the monthly payments for the quarter November – December 2024 and January 2025. Specifically, for failing to pay: – the emoluments due in favor of card-carrying members for the months of the quarter November – December 2024 and January 2025; – the installments of the redundancy incentives due in the months of November – December 2024 and January 2025 due to no. 2 card-carrying members;
– Mr. Massimo GIOVE, at the time of the facts special prosecutor with powers of representation of the company Taranto F.C. 1927 s.r.l.: – violation of Articles 4, paragraph 1, and 33, paragraph 3 letter d), of the Code of Sports Justice, in relation to the provisions of Article 85, letter A), par. V) point 2) third paragraph, of the Federal Prosecution 4 N.O.I.F, for failing to have the same, by the deadline of February 17, 2025, to pay the net emoluments and leaving incentives due to registered members, employees and collaborators assigned to the sports sector with contracts ratified by the competent League, relating to the monthly payments for the quarter November – December 2024 and January 2025. Specifically, for failing to pay: – the emoluments due in favor of card-carrying members for the months of the quarter November – December 2024 and January 2025; – the installments of the redundancy incentives due in the months of November – December 2024 and January 2025 due to no. 2 card-carrying members;
with a request for the application of recidivism under Article 18, paragraph 1, of the Code of Sports Justice, for the conduct ascribed to and sanctions imposed on Mr. Massimo Giove within the framework of the disciplinary proceedings registered under no. 307pf24-25, defined by decision No. 106/TFNSD-2024-2025 of 21-28.11.2024 of the National Federal Court, and No. 535pf24-25, defined by decision No. 134/TFNSD-2024-2025 of 28 – 31.1.2025 of the National Federal Court;
Believed, also, that from these behaviors it follows:
a. the direct responsibility, pursuant to Article 6, paragraph 1, of the Code of Sports Justice of the company Taranto FC 1927 s.r.l. for which at the time of the facts referred to in the previous charges were registered members Salvatore Alfonso, Mark Colin Campbell, Maria Acquaviva and Massimo Giove;
b. the company Taranto FC 1927 s.r.l.’s own responsibility under the provisions of Article 33, paragraph 3 letter d), of the Code of Sports Justice, in relation to the provisions of Article 85, letter A), par. V) point 2) third paragraph, of the N.O.I.F., which places the obligations under examination also on the companies directly;
with a request for the application of recidivism under Article 18, paragraph 1, of the Code of Sports Justice, for the conduct ascribed and the sanctions imposed on the company Taranto F.C. 1927 s.r.l. within the disciplinary proceedings registered under no. 307pf24-25, defined by decision No. 106/TFNSD-2024-2025 of 21 – 28.11.2024 of the National Federal Court, and No. 535pf24-25, defined by decision No. 134/TFNSD-2024-2025 of 28 – 31.1.2025 of the National Federal Court;
Having regard to the proposal of the Deputy Federal Prosecutor Lawyer Alessandro D’Oria;
Having regard to articles 123 and 124 of the Code of Sports Justice, Federal Prosecutor’s Office 5
NOTICE
the above-named subjects of the investigation who have faculty:
1. to appoint a public defender;
2. to inspect and take a copy of the records of the proceeding within 2 (two) days of the service of this notice;
3. to submit pleadings or request to be heard, within the period of 3 (three) days from the service of this notice; the pleadings or alternative request to be heard shall be transmitted to the e-mail address of this Prosecutor’s Office, below, procura@pec.figc.it and figc.procura@figc.it;
4. should the notified party make a request to be heard, the Federal Prosecutor shall set, as of now, for the conduct of the hearing the date of March 1, 2025, at 10:00 a.m., in Rome, at the Offices of the Federal Prosecutor’s Office in Via Campania no. 47; if on the date fixed with a peremptory deadline by the Federal Prosecutor’s Office it is not possible to proceed with the hearing due to his impediment or that of his defenders, he may submit a brief or request the Federal Prosecutor’s Office ex art. 123, paragraph 3, of the C.G.S, the postponement of the hearing itself; in the event of a request for the postponement of the hearing, the date of March 3, 2025, at 10:00 a.m., in Rome, at the Offices of the Federal Prosecutor’s Office in Via Campania no. 47; in the event of the impediment of the warned party or its defenders, even following such postponement, the Federal Prosecutor as of now assigns a period of 1 (one) day, starting from the date of the second convocation, to submit a substitute statement;
5. to agree with the Federal Prosecutor on the application of a reduced or commuted sanction, indicating its type and extent or, where provided for by federal regulations, the adoption of commitments aimed at remedying the effects of the alleged offenses, pursuant to Art. 126, paragraph 1, of the Code of Sports Justice, except, for cases of recidivism, for acts committed with violence resulting in serious bodily injury, for episodes of sexual abuse or harassment, for episodes of prevarication with acts of bullying, for acts aimed at altering the course or result of a match or competition or to ensure anyone an advantage in the standings, qualified as a sports offence by the federal system, pursuant to Art. 126, paragraph 7, of the C.G.S., without prejudice to the possible application of the regulations set forth in Article 128 of the C.G.S. P
INFORMS
the aforementioned persons that in the first defensive act, if they have not already declared it to the Federal Prosecutor’s Office, they are entitled to indicate the certified e-mail address at which they intend to receive communications; in default, communications subsequent to the first will be made, pursuant to Art. 53 of the Sports Justice Code, to the certified e-mail address communicated at the time of registration or subsequently modified, or to the certified e-mail address of the club they belong to at the time of the communication itself or of the last club for which the person notified appears to have been registered. Clubs that receive the notification, referred to above, for one of their own registered members, pursuant to Article 53 of the Code of Sports Justice have the burden of communication to the same, unless they demonstrate and promptly communicate the impossibility to the Federal Prosecutor’s Office; failure to do so will result in the imposition of one or more sanctions under Article 8 of the Code of Sports Justice. Mandates the Secretariat to proceed with the notification of this act to those subject to investigation as indicated above.
The article Serie C, Taranto towards exclusion from the championship comes from Calcio Lecce.
