Former Serie A footballers Simone Pepe and Giuseppe Sculli are under investigation by the Rome public prosecutor's office on charges of unauthorized exercise of the sports agent profession, forgery, and attempted extortion, according to judicial sources.
The probe, led by prosecutor Saverio Francesco Musolino, also targets licensed agent Luigi Iachini Bellisarii and lawyer Alessandro Buccieri. Investigators allege that Pepe and Sculli operated as de facto agents without proper accreditation, handling negotiations and financial agreements for young prospects before lodging contracts with what prosecutors claim were forged signatures at the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI).
The case revolves around two young players: Costantino Favasuli, who came through Fiorentina's youth system, and Davide Bettella, a former defender with stints in the youth ranks of Inter, Atalanta, and Frosinone. According to the indictment, when both players decided to terminate their professional relationship with the alleged representatives, the four suspects attempted to enforce penalty clauses worth hundreds of millions of euros for early termination of the mandate.
