TLDR
- Italian prosecutors are investigating five people over an alleged €40,000 ($46,000) extortion of soccer player Nicolò Fagioli.
- Pop singer and DJ Ludovico Franchitti, known as Ludwig, is among the suspects.
- Police seized the singer’s phones during an October 28 search.
- A businessman is under investigation for allegedly laundering the €40,000 through commercial deals.
- Fagioli, who served a seven-month ban in 2023 for betting, is treated as the alleged victim in this case.
Italian prosecutors are investigating five people over an alleged scheme to extort €40,000 ($46,000) from soccer player Nicolò Fagioli. The midfielder, who now plays for Fiorentina, is treated as the alleged victim in the case.
The probe centers on claims that Fagioli was threatened with public exposure of his illegal gambling. Prosecutors suspect those threats were used to pressure him into paying, according to Italian newspaper La Repubblica.
One of the suspects is Italian singer and DJ Ludovico Franchitti, who performs under the stage name Ludwig. No findings of guilt have been made against any of the five suspects.
From Banned Player to Alleged Victim
Fagioli’s career at Juventus was derailed in 2023 when his gambling habits were exposed. They came to light during a police investigation into illegal online betting with links to organized crime.
He was handed a seven-month ban from soccer that year for betting on games. Other Italian players, including Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali, were also caught up in that investigation.
In June 2023, Fagioli reportedly told the Turin Prosecutor’s Office he had built up debts of €3 million. He said he was receiving payment demands that involved threats and abuse.
In testimony reported by Italian media in October 2023, he recalled creditors warning they would break his legs if he did not repay them. Unlike the earlier disciplinary case, he is now considered the alleged victim in a criminal probe.
Franchitti is a well-known figure in Italy’s pop-dance scene. He is known for the song Domani ci passa and has worked with artists including Gabry Ponte and J-Ax.
His name first surfaced in messages exchanged with Fagioli in 2023. In those messages, the singer allegedly claimed to have screenshots showing the player betting on throw-ins during matches.
Investigators are examining whether those messages were used to threaten Fagioli. The alleged threat was that his betting would be made public and his career ruined unless he paid.
Five Suspects and a Money Trail
Prosecutors suspect the singer helped pressure Fagioli after the player had piled up more than €2 million in debts through illegal gambling operations. Franchitti is also being investigated for allegedly organizing unauthorized betting activities.
That betting allegation also involves another suspect, Andrea Petrini. Two other people, Luca Gerilli and an employee of a betting agency, face investigation for alleged aggravated extortion.
A lawyer representing the betting agency employee has denied the allegations against his client. The other suspects have not been found guilty of any wrongdoing.
The fifth suspect is businessman Fabio Capretti. He is being investigated for alleged self-laundering, with prosecutors claiming the €40,000 obtained through extortion was reinvested through commercial transactions.
Police are reviewing electronic messages, banking records, and financial transactions. They aim to establish whether threats were made and how the disputed €40,000 changed hands.
On October 28, police carried out a search warrant and seized Franchitti’s phones. Investigators are now looking for evidence of communications between the musician and the player.
