According to football and finance sources, Rome's anti-mafia prosecutor's office is investigating suspected market manipulation targeting Lazio, aimed at pressuring the club's controlling shareholder Claudio Lotito to sell his stake. Prosecutors believe that someone manipulated Lazio's publicly traded stock price and spread "false information" to pressure Lotito into selling the club in connection with the club's imminent sale and his company's financial difficulties.

The investigation is ongoing, and related charges have not yet been formally confirmed through judicial proceedings.

Following the Rome prosecutor's investigation, the Carabinieri investigation unit searched Fucino Bank chairman Mauro Masi, CEO Francesco Maiolini, and Luigi Bisignani. The investigation involves alleged market manipulation, and according to case documents, it began in June 2024 and may still be ongoing.

Prosecutors believe the individuals involved may have coordinated with others, whose identities are still being determined, and distributed information they considered false through social media, online outlets, and Il Tempo newspaper, which Bisignani supports.

The reports included claims that Lotito would sell his controlling stake in Lazio, that Lotito's companies face financial difficulties, and that Lotito intentionally relegated Lazio to secure a €35 million "parachute" payment.

Investigators believe this information could have had a "significant impact" on Lazio's stock price. The search warrant also suggests there may be a "broader, coordinated plan" behind this: on one hand, spreading false information to depress Lazio's stock price, and on the other, pressuring Lotito to sell his controlling stake in the club.

The prosecutor's investigation materials also include protests by some Lazio supporters against Lotito's management in recent years. Investigators recently analyzed certain online content and suspect some of it was intended to incite supporters to protest against Lotito.

However, the prosecutor's office distinguishes between alleged illegal activities and public protest, emphasizing that supporters publicly opposing Lotito's management is "clearly legitimate." According to Carabinieri materials, Bisignani, Maiolini, and Masi also participated in some public protests.

According to investigators, after obtaining data from seized devices, they believe some defamatory posts and information dissemination on social media may have been "partially or entirely funded by Maiolini." Prosecutors also note that some articles published in Il Tempo within days matched the "same pattern" as previously distributed content through less direct channels.

One key piece of the investigation is an article published in Il Tempo on May 31, 2026. The article stated that JPMorgan Chase could acquire Lazio for €450 million, but Rome's prosecutor considers this information false.

According to the search warrant, the article also suggested that Lotito should use financial experts to bring the club to a new management level, and Masi and Maiolini from Fucino Bank were among those mentioned. Although rumors circulated recently that Lazio could be sold, Lotito has repeatedly stated publicly that he has no intention of selling the club.

Investigators are also analyzing connections between the individuals involved and the timing of article publication relative to other communications. According to a Carabinieri report submitted on July 21, 2026, Maiolini had "occasional phone contact" with Bisignani over the past two years, and Masi also had contact with Bisignani.

Investigators found phone calls and frequent contact attempts between Bisignani and Maiolini before and after Bisignani prepared and published articles for Il Tempo, with contact records from May 31, June 1, and June 11, 2026.

Prosecutors also connected another article published on June 12 to "Lazio will be sold" news that resurfaced online on June 9 and 10, believing these circumstances could serve as additional investigative leads to determine if there was coordination.

Regarding the allegations, Fucino Bank chairman Masi flatly denied them. He told ANSA: "I am astonished by these accusations stemming from Lotito's complaint. These allegations are completely false. My only 'mistake' is being a Lazio supporter, like many people in Rome and Italy."

Masi also said he has "complete faith in the judiciary" and instructed his lawyers to file defamation charges regarding the matter.

Since Lazio is a publicly traded company, the key point of the investigation is whether prosecutors can prove that coordinated activity occurred behind the information they consider false, with the primary objective of manipulating Lazio's stock price and pressuring the controlling shareholder to sell the club.

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