According to the Italian authorities, the 30 arrested men in Foggia had a few links with some market operations with the football club. It seems like the members of the mafia clans arrested this morning exerted pressure on the former coach Roberto De Zerbi, the former sports director Giuseppe Di Bari and the son of the owner of Foggia Sannella for the signing of two players in Lega Pro. This is what emerged from the operation that led to the arrest of 30 affiliates to the Foggia underworld, in a maxi-operation carried out by Carabinieri and the State Police.

The three mentioned members of Foggia would have been imposed to sign contracts with subjects close to the criminal association. In particular, the former football player Luca Pompilio, arrived in January 2016 and then loaned to Melfi, and Antonio Bruno from Beretti.

The signing of Pompilio’s contract, for the investigators, was the result of the requests for extortion by the affiliates, to whom the club "instead of opposing a refusal has preferred to comply with the requests of the criminals".