© EuroFootball.com
The goalkeeper of the Italian national team and Turin, Gianluigi Buffon, got involved in a betting scandal and as a result, he may miss the World Cup in Germany starting in less than a month.
The 28-year-old Italian, along with several former Turin players, are suspected of illegal betting. It is worth mentioning that in Italy, football players are strictly prohibited from betting on the results of football matches. In addition to Buffon, Antonio Chimenti, Enzo Maresca, and Marco Iuliano are also accused of fraud.
Buffon himself confesses that he used to participate in betting, but claims to have done so when it was not prohibited by the Italian Football Federation.
If Buffon is still found guilty, he will have to miss the World Cup, with his place in the main lineup of the Italian national team being taken by the veteran of Rome's "Lazio", Angelo Peruzzi.
It is worth noting that this is not the only scandal in Italian football. A few days ago, the Italian Football Federation announced that due to suspicions of match-fixing, they will not send their referees to the World Cup. Italy sent a formal request to FIFA to remove referee Massimo De Santis and his assistants Alessandro Griselli and Marco Ivaldi from the list of World Cup judges.
The referee scandal in Italy began after leaked phone conversations of Juventus' general manager Luciano Moggi and the federation official responsible for appointing referees to Serie A matches. In addition to Juventus, three other giants - Milan, Lazio, and Fiorentina - are accused of bribing referees in Italian football.
