Italy's match-fixing scandal will widen in scope

The magistrate whose probe into Italy's match-fixing scandal has widened his investigation to include some of Italy's smaller teams, newspapers reported.

The first part of Francesco Borrelli's investigation concluded last week with champions Juventus, AC Milan, Fiorentina and Lazio - as well as 26 officials, referees and linesmen - being ordered to appear before a sports tribunal in Rome's Olympic Stadium starting Thursday.

Now officials from Serie A clubs Reggina, Siena and Empoli have been called for questioning by magistrates examining events and intercepted telephone conversations during the 2004-2005 season, according to the newspapers.

Serie B sides Messina, Lecce and Arezzo also are under investigation, both La Gazzetta dello Sport and La Repubblica reported.

The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) said it would not comment on Borrelli's investigation.

The magistrates are investigating the clubs for suspected match-fixing. Investigators have accused former Juventus manager Luciano Moggi of working with FIGC officials, club managers, referees and linesmen to influence results on the pitch and transfer deals to favour his team.

Moggi and the other individuals who have been charged have denied wrongdoing.

The scandal erupted early last month with the publication of intercepted telephone conversations between Moggi and senior FIGC officials discussing refereeing appointments during the 2004-2005 season.

Juventus, AC Milan, Fiorentina and Lazio will face charges of sporting fraud, with possible sanctions ranging from a deduction of points to relegation to a lower division.

Juventus could be stripped of the Serie A titles from the past two seasons, and faces relegation to Serie B and possibly to Serie C1, newspapers have stated. But the club hopes to stay in Serie A with punishment limited to a deduction of points, they said.

The tribunal is scheduled to deliver its verdicts on the first set of charges between July 7 and 9, the latter date being the World Cup final.

Any convicted club or individual can ask for an appeals trial which the FIGC has promised will end by July 20, in time for the FIGC to tell UEFA which teams will compete in next season's Champions League and UEFA Cup competitions.

According to excerpts from his 193-page report published in Italian media Saturday, Borrelli said Italy's "biggest soccer scandal in history" could be understood only in the broader context of economic and sporting interests.

"Attention must be placed foremost on the issues of allocation of television rights, on the procedures for joining championships, on the 'market' for players," stated Borrelli's report as quoted in newspaper Corriere della Sera.

"This office reserves the right to occupy itself with this after the first investigation."

Former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who owns AC Milan and is the controlling shareholder of broadcaster Mediaset, said Friday that his club had done nothing wrong.

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