The presidents of Serie A clubs Lazio and Genoa plus Serie B's Bari are reportedly under investigation as part of an expanding inquiry into alleged collusion over Italian TV rights. Genoa owner Enrico Preziosi and Bari president and former referee Gianluca Paparesta are being investigated by prosecutors in Milan for accepting illegal payments from Serie A's TV rights adviser Infront in order to register their clubs with league authorities, Italian daily Corriere della Sera reported yesterday. Switzerland-based marketing agency Infront Sports and Media is led by Philippe Blatter, the nephew of suspended FIFA president Sepp Blatter. Lazio president Claudio Lotito was being investigated for obstructing the work of watchdog body Covisoc, Corriere said. The heart of the scandal centers on Infront and the president of its Italian division Marco Bogarelli, who is reportedly under investigation for fixing a deal between Sky, Mediaset and clubs for live domestic rights. The 2015-18 live rights were sold to Rupert Murdoch-controlled Sky and Silvio Berlusconi-controlled Mediaset for a total of 943 million euros (slightly more than $1 billion) per season, 114 million euros ($130 million) more than the previous deal. Tax and Finance consultant Andrea Baroni, who has Infront as a client, was arrested Friday on charges of criminal association aimed at money laundering and tax evasion. Preziosi allegedly accepted a 15-million euro ($17 million) payment that was made through Switzerland and can be traced back to Infront and Tax and Finance.
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