The glamour of the Milanese night hides a much darker side that has just exploded. An investigation coordinated by the Milan Public Prosecutor’s Office has dismantled a criminal organisation allegedly dedicated to the exploitation of luxury prostitution and money laundering. What makes the sporting world tremble is the list of clients: a constellation of VIPs, businessmen and, especially, footballers and an elite driver.
Formula 1 driver among those involved
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, the investigation, which has culminated in the arrest of four ringleaders, has an arsenal of evidence in the form of wiretaps. In one of them, according to the investigating judge’s order, it is clearly heard: “There is a friend of mine, a Formula 1 driver… who is coming to Milan tonight and wants a girl in exchange for money“.
Although the names of those involved, at least 50 regular customers, have been censored for now in court documents, it is known that the list includes numerous Serie A footballers living in Milan, although the first indications are that they do not belong to either Inter or AC Milan.
The scandal kit
The agency’s modus operandi, which reportedly earned more than 1.2 million euros, was as exclusive as it was illegal. They offered “complete packages” for several thousand euros that included evenings in the most fashionable clubs in Milan’s most select districts and overnight accommodation in top-class hotels.
But the sporting scandal goes further. The documents reveal the recurrent use of nitrous oxide, known as the ‘laughing drug’. It is a substance that induces immediate euphoria but leaves no trace in the body, making it the perfect ally for athletes who want to evade controls. It is not classified as a doping substance, so its consumption would not have been detected in official tests.
From Milan to Mykonos: An international exploitation network
The organization did not only operate in northern Italy. The company’s headquarters in Cinisello Balsamo served as a base to attract young women between 18 and 30 years old, both Italian and foreign, attracted by the atmosphere of luxury and exclusivity. The network extended its tentacles to the Greek island of Mykonos, where the women, who received 50% of the profits, carried out the same activity during the summer season.
The detainees now face serious charges of complicity, exploitation of prostitution and money laundering. Meanwhile, European sport is holding its breath at the possibility that the names censored in the judge’s pages will end up coming to light.