Napoli lose legal battle
(Channel 4)
Wednesday 1 September, 2004

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Luciano Gaucci could lose control of Napoli after the Tribunal released its lock
on the Serie B fixture list.


The Naples Tribunal had originally ordered that all League and Coppa Italia
games that did not include Napoli were to be suspended, as the club fought
against bankruptcy proceedings.


However, on Tuesday evening arbitrator Antonio Mungo ruled that they had no
jurisdiction over sport, as the law passed on August 19 2003 made it clear that
only the Lazio TAR could make decisions on football.


This Tribunal will look at the matter on September 6, just a week before the
Serie B season is set to kick off, but it is looking increasingly unlikely that
Napoli will make it back into the Second Division.


“The FIGC,” read an official statement, “are ready to continue negotiations with
the bankruptcy tribunal and the local council to find a solution that will allow
Napoli to register for Serie C1.”


“We have always maintained the jurisdiction was an insurmountable problem and
our only worry is that it cost Napoli fans a month of time better spent
preparing a new team.”


This is particularly bad news for Gaucci, who risks losing control of the club
as film producer Aurelio De Laurentis has already offered a more substantial
package to start again from C1.


“The fans should relax,” assured De Laurentis’ lawyer Cipriani Marinielli,
“because playing in Serie C would only be a necessary stepping stone to Serie A.
De Laurentis is a strong man who does things properly when he puts his mind to
them. We want to earn our place in Serie B, not win it through a legal
loophole.”


Ex-Perugia patron Gaucci is not going to let go of this dream without a fight
and took it out on the council.


“I am very bitter about what has happened. The only thing I can say is that
Naples sold its right to Serie B and didn’t do everything it could to stay up.”


It is highly unlikely that the Lazio TAR will accept Napoli’s proposal to stay
in Serie B after its bankruptcy, but Gaucci won’t release his grip.


“It isn’t over,” he warned, “as at least I can have the satisfaction of putting
a spanner in the works for those who planned to have Napoli demoted into Serie C
and those who helped the powers that be in this quest.”