Tax police searches Juventus' offices

Tax police searched the offices of Italian soccer champions Juventus and the homes of two of their top players Thursday.
 
Police entered the club’s headquarters as part of an investigation into Juventus’ dealings in the transfer market, and also visited the homes of Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Italian captain Fabio Cannavaro, an investigative source told Reuters.
 
Taps of telephone conversations of Juventus general manager Luciano Moggi discussing the signings of the two players have been published in Italian newspapers. Neither Ibrahimovic nor Cannavaro are under investigation by authorities.
 
Magistrates have placed Moggi, who resigned last week, and Antonio Giraudo, the club’s chief executive officer, under investigation on suspicion of false accounting with transfer dealings.
 
Sources in Naples said the police had visited the home of Moggi's son, Alessandro, as part of a probe into the operations of his football management company GEA World.
 
In a statement, Juventus confirmed the police search of their offices was taking place. The source said police were also visiting the personal residences of Moggi. Juventus denied Giraudo's home had been visited.
 
Juventus shares were down 8.22 percent at EUR 1.35, against a 0.22 percent market dip.
 
The club, winner of the Italian league title for the second year in a row, has lost more than 40 percent of its value since May 9, before the board resigned, and is now worth about EUR 165.7 million.
 
Juventus faces relegation to Serie B if its officials are found guilty of attempting to influence the outcome of matches. Telephone transcripts showed Moggi discussing referees with the man responsible for refereeing appointments in Italy.
 
Juventus said earlier this week that Carlo Sant'Albano, chief executive of the Agnelli family’s holding company Ifil which controls the club, would be temporarily in charge of the club.
 
The Turin investigation is one of several to hit Italian football this month. In Naples, 41 people, including officials of several clubs, referees and Football Federation executives, are under investigation for suspected match-fixing.
 
The president and vice-president of Italy's federation resigned last week and it was put under emergency administration. Administrator Guido Rossi, the 75-year-old former head of the stock market regulator, spent 2 ½  hours Thursday with Naples magistrates.
 
Judicial sources said that the meeting had discussed how and when investigators would pass on documents to the federation. Officials from six-times European champions AC Milan, Lazio and Fiorentina are also under investigation by magistrates.
UEFA needs to know by June 5 the list of clubs that will play in next season’s two European competitions. The federation investigation into the telephone taps likely will not be completed by then.
 
A UEFA spokesman said it was ready to listen to any application for an extension from the Italians when the governing body meets in Scotland on Monday. The draw for the qualifying rounds take place on June 24.