10/05/2006 11:26
Italian Scandal Spreading Like A Rash
According to the Bologna-based newspaper Il Resto del Carlino, the wiretap scandal that has rocked Italian football over the past week is set to get much, much bigger.
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New interceptions made by the Napoli magistrates, while investigating the alleged wrong-doings of Juventus director Luciano Moggi and his son’s player agency company GEA, have reportedly uncovered an intricate system involving referees, players, agents, and clubs that 'fixed' (inluenced the outcomes of) an unknown number of matches last season.
Il Carlino reports that the latest revelations involve another three clubs apart from Juventus - two apparently from the Lombardy region, and Messina.
Furthermore, around five referees, several linesmen, and a group of agents are also alleged to have been part of a syndicate whose aim was to fix the results of targeted matches.
Around 20 games appear to have fallen victim to this insidious network.
On Monday, the investigation's first wiretaps on the Napoli-front - last week’s came from Turin - are expected to be released, and if the evidence is damning it could lead to unimagibable consequences for Italian football’s top club, Juventus, plus a number of other clubs, and an unnkown number of referees, linesmen, agents, and players.
Yesterday’s resignation of Italian Football Federation president, Franco Carraro, appears to have been precipitated by these latest wiretaps.
Phone conversations published last week revealed that Carraro's officials and Juventus general director Moggi had discussed refereeing appointments.
The taps revealed Moggi talking about assigning referees for specific games in Serie A and the Champions League.
Uefa has opened an inquiry into the case and verbally reprimanded Italian referee Pierluigi Pairetto for disclosing confidential information.
According to the transcripts of the phone calls, Pairetto disclosed the names of referees to Moggi.
Pairetto assigned referees for Italian league matches last season and was one of three vice-chairmen of Uefa's referees committee from 2004-06.
The transcripts date from the early months of the 2004-05 season, which ended with Juve being crowned champions.
Moggi’s position appears to be growing increasingly untenable, and todays reports in Il Carlino, if substantiated, could mean his tenure at the Turin giants is coming to an end.
The scandal is dominating Italian football - overshadowing the second leg of the Coppa Italia which takes places on Thursday.
It is a rapidly evolving story and one that Goal.com will keep you fully up-to-date with. Keep checking the Goal.com site for the latest developments in this extraordinary saga... |