Four Italian Series A clubs charged with match fixing
The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) has charged four top Series A clubs for match-fixing. They risk relegation if they are found guilty by the FIGC tribunal which begins 28 June.
The four clubs in question are Juventus, AC Milan, Lazio and Fiorentina. In addition, 26 individuals have been charged with sporting fraud, probity and violations of fairness. These are offences that can result in fines, bans and relegations, according to FIGC’s sporting regulations.
Referees wined and dined
The president of the Italian Football League, Adriano Galliani, resigned Thursday night after he was named in FIGC prosecutor Stefano Palazzi’s charge sheet.
According to Italian news agency ANSA, Galliani stated that his resignation should not be interpreted as an admission of guilt.
Luciano Moggi, former manager of Juventus, heads the list of the 26 accused alongside former CEO of Juventus, Antonio Giraudo.
Moggi is the alleged ringleader of a network which has been set up to influence referees. According to ANSA, they stand accused of “wining and dining” referees and giving them half-price deals for cars from Fiat. Fiat is the Turin auto maker controlled by the Agnelli Group – owner of Juve.
The charge sheet also includes Fiorentina’s owner, Andrea Della Valla, who also owns the footwear giant “Tod’s”. The charge sheet also includes his brother Diego, the club chairman as well as Lazio’s chairman, Claudio Lotito.
The former president of the FIGC and IOC member, Franco Carraro, also appears on the list together with the former head of the Referees Association and two former referee appointers as well as eight referees and two linesmen.
The trial will take place on day of World Cup final
Everyone involved have denied any wrongdoing. The trial will be held in Rome’s Olympic Stadium. It will be broadcast by closed-circuit television to journalists from the world’s media, according to Reuters.
The trial is expected to produce a verdict on 9 July 2006 – the day of the World Cup final. Any club or individual convicted has the possibility of appealing. The Football Association has promised that the process will end by July 27, just in time to tell UEFA which teams will compete in next season’s Champions League and UEFA Cup competitions.
FIGC’s inquiry and sporting tribunal are distinct from five other investigations. These investigations are being carried out by prosecutors in five cities whose findings, which have yet to be announced, could result in criminal charges.
The scandal erupted in May after transcripts of intercepted phone calls between Moggi and senior federation officials that had been leaked to the press. The transcripts show the former general manager and the officials discussing refereeing appointments in the season of 2004-05.