Serie B side seized by anti-mafia prosecutors due to ties to organised crime group Camorra with Italian FA asked to cancel club's matches

Juve Stabia's recent 2-0 derby win over Avellino had lifted the Wasps to seventh in Serie B, tied on points with promotion contenders Venezia, and fans dared to believe in the dream of reaching Serie A within three years. But that ambition has now been shattered. According to Italy’s National Anti-Mafia Prosecutor, Giovanni Melillo, Juve Stabia are “subordinate” to the Camorra, specifically, the D’Alessandro and Imparato clans.

Following the findings, the club have been placed under receivership under Italy’s Anti-Mafia Code, a law born in the wake of the 1992 assassinations of Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino. The measure, carried out by the Naples Police Headquarters, is meant to “restore legality and transparency” amid allegations of deep mafia infiltration. This marks the third-ever judicial seizure of a professional football club in Italy, after Foggia and Crotone, but Stabia’s case is reportedly the most severe. Authorities are even considering asking the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) to postpone upcoming fixtures, including the high-profile home game against Bari on October 29.

According to prosecutors, the Camorra’s influence stretched across nearly every operational layer of the club from security, catering, travel logistics, to ticketing. The investigation began in February 2025 when a police audit revealed that a man linked to the Imparato clan was overseeing stadium security. From there, the findings multiplied with banned individuals attending matches under false identities, free tickets distributed to known clan members, and even evidence of falsified entry records at the Menti Stadium.

Last season alone, 38 Juve Stabia fans were hit with stadium bans, among which 22 persons were suspected of clan affiliation. Investigators allege that these bans were regularly circumvented with internal cooperation. Prosecutors described the infiltration as “comprehensive,” saying, “Players just had to play; the Camorra handled everything else.”

This systemic control has shaken public trust in Serie B governance and reignited concerns about football’s vulnerability to criminal interference, especially in regions where the Camorra, 'Ndrangheta, and Cosa Nostra remain economically entrenched.

Stabia’s case follows a troubling trend. Just last month, Serie C side Crotone was placed under judicial administration for a year after prosecutors found evidence of 'Ndrangheta interference in operations ranging from stadium management to sponsorships. A similar case in Foggia saw local mafia elements control gate receipts and influence matchday security.

In each case, the aim of judicial intervention has not been punishment, but protection, to “shield clubs and communities from criminal control.” However, Juve Stabia’s seizure stands out for its scope and timing as the club’s recent success and newfound international ownership made it appear modern and clean on the surface.

The takeover by Brera Holdings, an Irish investment firm that acquired a 52 per cent stake in June 2025, was meant to modernise operations. Yet investigators now allege the new owners “inherited long-standing financial ties already under mafia influence” and failed to sever them. The revelations have turned what was meant to be a financial expansion into a reputational crisis.

For the FIGC and Serie B authorities, Juve Stabia’s seizure poses urgent questions about how deep-rooted criminal networks still exploit football infrastructure. Italy’s lower leagues, often cash-strapped and locally run, remain particularly exposed to infiltration by clans seeking influence, money laundering opportunities, or social control.

The judiciary will now appoint administrators to oversee the club’s daily operations, while the FIGC evaluates whether Stabia can safely continue competing. Points deductions or relegation could follow if direct collusion is proven. But for now, the intervention serves as a stark reminder that football in southern Italy remains a battlefield - not just between clubs, but between legality and corruption.

As Prosecutor Melillo warned: “The goal is not to destroy football in Campania, but to liberate it.” Whether Juve Stabia can ever reclaim its credibility, however, remains to be seen.