© EuroFootball.com
Italian football faces a continuation of the scandal that shook the sport last year. After the prosecutors in Naples completed their investigation and are preparing to file official charges, punishments from the Italian Football Federation could be received by both the most affected Turin-based "Juventus" as well as other clubs and individuals.
Last summer, multiple Italian champions "Juventus" lost two "Serie A" titles and were relegated to the lower "Serie B" division with a 9-point deficit, but the team's fans are now worried about another legal battle.
After nearly a year-long investigation into the corruption scandal, the Naples prosecutor's office finished their work and identified 48 people suspected of illegal actions - a standard procedure before pressing charges for crimes.
It is now expected that the prosecutors' material will be handed over to Saverio Borrelli, the head of the Italian Football Federation's investigation group, who could start a new sports judicial process.
There are suspicions from the 2004-05 season of 39 matches being compromised, with about 15 of them not previously known to the Naples investigators. Among the newly suspected matches could be the encounter between "Juventus" and "Milan", which ended in a 0-0 draw in Turin.
The corruption scandal erupted last May when conversations between Italian football officials and referees raised doubts about the 2004-05 season. The main figure in the scandal was former "Juventus" general director Luciano Moggi, who was accused of influencing the outcome of matches through the creation of a network.
"Contacts took place through phone calls using secret SIM cards provided by L. Moggi to referees Paolo Bergamo and Pier Luigi Pairetto, as well as 'Messina' sports director Mariano Fabiani, referees Gianluca Paparesta, Salvatore Racalbuto, Stefano Cassara, Antonio Dattilo, Paolo Bertini, Marco Gabriele, Tiziano Pieri, Massimo De Santis, and Marcello Ambrosino", said a statement from the Naples prosecutor's office.
Following these findings, the aforementioned officials and the "Messina" club could face a sports tribunal. However, "Messina" president Pietro Franza denied their guilt: "We have always worked absolutely legally. Mariano Fabiani should soon be acquitted."
If S. Borrelli finds new evidence, it is believed that sanctions could also be imposed on the "Juventus" club. The former president, Giovanni Cobolli Gigli, rejected such claims and explained that the Turin club had already been sufficiently punished.
"I can clearly say that the scandal did not start with the 'Juventus' club. We have already paid for everything, and perhaps even too much. The decision to strip us of the 2006 champion title and hand it over to 'Inter' is still incomprehensible today," said G.C. Gigli.
A similar sentiment is echoed in an official statement by "Juventus": "News in the newspapers does not change the club's belief that it cannot be held responsible for the illegal actions of former executives. Players and all club staff competed in the 'Serie B' championship with enthusiasm and professionalism and overcame the crisis of the past year."
"Current leaders know that a high price has been paid, and that there are no new issues with sports courts, allowing for the peaceful planning of the club's future. For the fans who have never wavered in supporting the team, 'Juventus' can confirm the desire to start winning again and return to the top of world football," announced on the Turin club's website.
