Luigi De Siervo was one of many stakeholders in the Italian game to welcome news of the crackdown on a huge TV piracy gang
Competitions and broadcasters surrounding Italian football have welcomed news that the country's police have dismantled what they called the its biggest network of online piracy.
The criminal gang in question was said to have more 900,000 active users and bring in more than €10m per month in profits for its members. The network reportedly found joy recruiting punters on the social media app Telegram.
As well as Italian football matches, the group made films, series and other content available for live streaming through its service.
The network, while predominantly being active in Italy, also had members based in the UK, Germany and Tunisia, according to local police authorities.
Since their arrest, more than 70 people face prosecution for various offences, including money laundering, fraud, forgery and impersonation.
The operation has been led by prosecutors in Sicily who focused on the investigation and apprehension of suspects in the south of Italy but also in Rome and other locations.
Head of Serie A, Luigi De Siervo, has showed his appreciation for the Italian police, extending his "most heartfelt thanks for the extraordinary job done in this unrelenting fight against illegal streaming".
Executives at broadcasting giant Sky Italia and streaming service DAZN have echoed such sentiments with their own official statements.
Illegal live streaming continues to pose a huge threat to established broadcasters as they look to battle piracy on multiple fronts.
Despite the resilient popularity of watching illegal football live streams, there are multiple pitfalls for the user. The websites which host these streams are not the only ones breaking the law. Visitors to these sites can also be found culpable and face legal action for watching such live streams.
Aside from any legal consequences, visitors should also take into account the danger that such sites pose for their devices, security and privacy. Many of these websites are full of malware, viruses and other harmful elements.
If you're interested in watching high quality football for free, and in a legal manner, you should check out our football live streaming section, where we host games from some of the biggest competitions in the world including La Liga, the Bundesliga and Serie A.
