Overview

• Le Iene journalists uncovered a pay-to-play network led by Salvatore Bagni and his son, demanding €30,000 from players for placement in Serie C teams.
• Bagni leveraged personal connections with club directors, including at Vis Pesaro, to guarantee starting roles for paid players.
• Payments were made in cash or disguised as sponsorships, with Bagni describing them as 'legal gifts' to bypass scrutiny.
• The investigation revealed a specific case involving €50,000, split between Bagni and Vis Pesaro’s sporting director Michele Menga.
• The exposé has sparked public outrage and calls for regulatory reform, though no formal legal or disciplinary actions have been announced yet.