A scandal of great proportions shakes Italian football and begins to generate echoes throughout Europe. The Milan Prosecutor’s Office, through an investigation delegated to the Guardia di Finanza, uncovered an organized prostitution network that operated for at least five years in the Lombard city, offering exclusive parties and private services to high-level athletes.
The number of names mentioned in the wiretaps already amounts to more than 70, including Serie A footballers, hockey players and a Formula 1 driver, although none of them face criminal charges since being a client does not constitute a crime under Italian law.
The investigation points directly to four people considered organizers of the network, who already have a house arrest order. Emanuele Buttini and Deborah Ronchi, a couple and considered the main ringleadersalong with Alessio Salamone and Luz Luan Amilton Fraga, are designated as responsible for managing the meetings, coordinating the young participants and managing payments.
The organization kept at least 50 percent of the money paid by clients, giving the rest to the women through cash envelopes. The network’s profits in less than two years exceeded one million two hundred thousand euros, of which more than 194 thousand were paid directly by the athletes.
The venues used for the parties were luxury establishments in the center of Milan, including several nightclubs and VIP spaces of recognized prestige in the city. The network also promoted its services through an Instagram account and offered meetings in destinations such as Mykonos and the Caribbean. According to the investigation documents, around a hundred women participated in these parties, mostly young people between 18 and 20 years old, both Italian and foreign.
The names that have come to light
Among the footballers mentioned in the wiretaps and official documents there are profiles linked to the main clubs in Serie A and other European leagues. For Inter Milan, the names of Alessandro Bastoni, Bellanova, Carlos Augusto and Skriniar are mentioned. Rafael Leao and Olivier Giroud appear from AC Milan among others. Dusan Vlahovic and Arthur Melo are mentioned from Juventus, while Scamacca and Ruggeri appear from Atalanta and the name of Nuno Tavares from Lazio.
Calafiori currently at Arsenal, Philippe Coutinho, Daniel Maldini and young defender Dean Huijsen from Real Madrid are also mentioned, in addition to an ambiguous reference to a player identified as Álvarez that some interpret as a possible allusion to Álvaro Morata.
The scope of the investigation goes beyond football. Among the wiretaps recorded in the investigative judge’s order, a Formula 1 driver whose identity has not been officially revealed is also mentioned. In one of the revealed recordings you can hear clearly: “There is a friend of mine, a Formula 1 driver… who is coming to Milan tonight and wants a girl in exchange for money.”
It is important to note that none of these athletes are being investigated for any crime. The authorities confirmed that the names appear only in calls or mentions within the wiretaps, but that their presence at the parties does not imply any criminal liability under current Italian legislation.
The case, however, opens an uncomfortable debate about the environment of elite football and the exposure of players. The investigation continues with the review of more testimonies and wiretaps that could expand the list of names involved, while the affected clubs follow the development of the judicial process closely.