Italy prosecutor ready to unveil charges

Italy's football prosecutor will announce Thursday which Serie A clubs and officials will stand trial for match-fixing in the country's sports scandal.

Champions Juventus, AC Milan, Lazio and Fiorentina are known to be at risk for charges by Football Federation (FIGC) prosecutor Stefano Palazzi. Relegation is a possibility if any are found guilty.

Any clubs and football officials who are indicted will stand trial before a sports tribunal in Rome's Olympic Stadium next week. The FIGC has promised to wrap up the trial by July 9, the date of the World Cup final.

The prosecutor will announce any indictments after the Milan stock exchange closes at 5:30 p.m. to prevent disorderly trading in shares of Juventus and Lazio. Since the scandal broke in early May, Juventus shares have lost half their value and were trading at EUR 1.23 Thursday.

Palazzi is also expected to wait until a World Cup match between Italy and the Czech Republic ends shortly before 6 p.m.

The scandal erupted last month when newspapers published intercepted telephone conversations between Juventus' former general manager, Luciano Moggi, and senior FIGC officials discussing refereeing appointments during the 2004/05 season.

A report by the football federation's investigator supposedly levelled the heaviest criticism at Juventus. Reports have speculated the club could be demoted to Serie C1 – Italy's third division – and be stripped of the Serie A titles they won in the past two seasons.

Milan risks sanctions after the publication of phone taps in which Leonardo Meani, a member of the club's management, spoke to the official assigning match officials in April 2005 complaining about a linesman after Milan lost to Siena.

Milan's president, former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, said his team was innocent and deserved to inherit the last two Serie A titles by virtue of finishing runner-up to Juventus.

"Milan has been defrauded," Berlusconi said Wednesday. "When the team that finished first cheats, it's only fair that the second-place side wins. And I'm not at all scared."

Palazzi was expected to issue indictments for "sporting fraud" and "violation of fairness and probity."

A team convicted of sporting fraud risks sanctions ranging from having points deducted next season to relegation to a lower division and loss of titles.

The second charge can lead to warnings or fines as well as points deduction, relegation and loss of titles. Individuals risk being banned from the sport.

Any club or individual who is convicted can ask for an appeals trial which the FIGC has promised will end by July 27, in time for the FIGC to tell UEFA which teams will compete in next season's Champions League and UEFA Cup competitions.

In the previous major scandal to hit Italian soccer, AC Milan and Lazio were relegated for match-fixing in 1980 and several players were banned.

Thirteen of Italy's 23-man World Cup squad play for the four clubs that have come under scrutiny.

Separate criminal prosecutions could follow the FIGC trial which is expected to deliver its verdicts between 7 and 9 July - the weekend of the World Cup final.

Source: euFootball.BIZ © Copyright 2006 - All rights reserved.