Italian police uncover Mafia attempt to buy football club Lazio

Jul 22, 2008, 13:12 GMT

Rome - Italian police arrested Tuesday seven suspects linked to an alleged attempt by a Neapolitan Camorra mafia gang to purchase top-flight Serie A football club Lazio in a money-laundering scam.

Authorities said three suspects were still at large, including a 1970s star striker for the Rome-based club, Giorgio Chinaglia, who investigators believe acted as a willing front for the mafiosi.

Police said their operation, dubbed 'Broken Wings' - an ironic reference to Lazio's eagle symbol - uncovered a plot in which members of a Camorra crime family, the Casalesi, were to bring back to Italy money earned from drug dealing and other criminal activities.

'Some 24 million euros (38 million dollars) were to be moved from Hungary,' as part of the sum to buy the Rome-based club, police commander Gianluca Campana, said.

Police identified another of the suspects at large as a Hungarian man, Zoltan Zlivas, but did not name the third suspect.

The Casalesi, allegedly also enlisted the support of members of Lazio's hardcore group of organized fans, the Irriducibili, to threaten Lazio's current chairman, Claudio Lotito, into selling his stake in the club, police said.