Another match fixing scandal

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Atalanta and Doni cited
In Serie B Ascoli, Verona and Sassuolo
Milano, 26 July 2011

MATCH-FIXING SCANDAL. The FIGC's sporting prosecutor Palazzi has referred to the Disciplinary Committee Chievo for no-fault liability in relation to the actions of its player Bettarini (the club only faces a fine), 11 clubs from Lega Pro, 2 clubs from Lega Dilettanti, and 26 players, coaches and officials for a variety of offences (Signori, Paoloni and nine others for conspiring to commit illicit actions; Doni and seven others for sporting fraud)

Two clubs from Serie A (Atalanta and Chievo), three from Serie B (Ascoli, Verona and Sassuolo), eleven from Lega Pro (Alessandria, Cremonese, Benevento, Ravenna, Virtus Entella, Piacenza, Esperia Viareggio, Portogruaro, Taranto, Spezia and Reggiana) and two from Lega Dilettanti, Cus Chieti and Pino Di Matteo, were referred today to the Disciplinary Committee by the Italian Football Association's prosecutor Stefano Palazzi on the basis of the documents made available by the State Prosecutor's Office of Cremona relating to the criminal investigations into match-fixing and the subsequent inquiry carried out by the footballing authorities.

Marco Paoloni, the former Cremonese goalkeeper. Ansa

THE 26 PLAYERS, COACHES AND OFFICIALS — In addition to the eighteen clubs - cited for being directly responsible, presumed responsible or no-fault liability depending on the different cases - 26 players, coaches and officials were cited for a variety of offences: Erodiani, Paoloni, Parlato, Bellavista, Buffone, Bressan, Gervasoni, Micolucci, Signori, Sommese, Tuccella, Furlan, Bettarini, Fabbri, Gibellini, Santoni, Manfredini, Tisci, Doni, Deoma, Zaccanti, Veltroni, Rossi, Ciriello, Quadrini and Saverino.

Giuseppe Signori has been cited for "conspiring to commit illicit actions". Ansa

CONSPIRING TO COMMIT ILLICIT ACTIONS — Marco Paoloni, Giuseppe Signori and nine other players, officials and coaches were cited by the Italian Football Association's prosecutor for "conspiring to commit illicit actions". Among the other members of the group Antonio Bellavista (the former captain of Bari), Carlo Gervasoni (a Piacenza player), Ravenna's sporting director Giorgio Buffone and Massimo Erodiani, a registered 5-a-side player, Gianfranco Parlato, when the events took place a first-level coach enrolled in the national register of coaches; Mauro Bressan, when the events took place a first-level coach enrolled in the national register of coaches; Vittorio Micolucci, a player registered, when the events took place, with the club Ascoli Calcio 1898 S.p.A.; Vincenzo Sommese, a player registered, when the events took place, with the club Ascoli Calcio 1898 S.p.A.; and Gianluca Tucella, a player registered, when the events took place, with the club Asd Cus Chieti.

Cristiano Doni during a friendly: he is among the 26 people cited. Ansa

SPORTING FRAUD — Cristiano Doni was cited for violating Art. 7 of the code of sporting justice, which refers to sporting fraud, in relation to the match between Atalanta and Piacenza. The FIGC's prosecutor cited for the same reason in the same match seven other people, and the club Atalanta for no-fault liability and presumed responsibility.

 

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Atalanta handed seven-point deduction
August 3, 2011

Atalanta are set to begin the new Serie A campaign with a seven-point deduction for their part in the latest match-fixing scandal to rock Italian football.

The newly-promoted side were one of 18 teams implicated in the calcioscommesse betting scandal and received notice of their punishment at a hearing before the Italian Football Federation's (FIGC) sporting prosecutor in Rome on Wednesday.

Last season's Serie B clash between Atalanta and Piacenza came under scrutiny following reports of irregular betting patterns.

Atalanta's veteran captain Cristiano Doni, 38, has been hit with a three-and-a-half-year ban for his actions, while team-mate Thomas Manfredini received a three-year ban.

The punishments are the recommendation of federal prosecutor Stefano Palazzi, using information from an investigation undertaken by the public prosecutor of Cremona.

All of Wednesday's recommendations - outside of any plea bargains - still need to be ratified by the FIGC's disciplinary commission.

Another Serie A outfit, Chievo, opted to enter a plea bargain and were fined 80,000 euros. Their fine relates to the actions of Stefano Bettarini, a former Italy international who was registered with the team last season but who never made an appearance.

Bettarini, charged with trying to influence the outcome of matches, entered a plea bargain and has been banned for 14 months.

Ascoli defender Vittorio Micolucci also made a deal with the prosecutors and received a 14-month ban for his links to the scandal.

Micolucci's club have been handed a six-point deduction for the 2011-12 season and handed a 90,000 euro fine. Fellow Serie B sides Hellas Verona and Sassuolo were handed 50,000 euro fines.

Representatives of 11 third-tier Pro League teams - Alexandria, Cremonese, Benevento, Ravenna, Virtus Entella, Piacenza, Esperia Viareggio, Portogruaro, Taranto, Spezia and Reggiana - and two amateur sides - Cus Chieti and Pino Di Matteo - were also at the hearing.

Of the more serious sanctions handed down to those teams, Alexandria face relegation from the third tier and Ravenna have been told they face total expulsion from the league if the commission upholds Palazzi's ruling.

Benevento were hit with a 14-point penalty and Cremonese a nine-point deduction. Both teams also received 30,000 euro fines

The calcioscommesse scandal takes in 18 suspicious matches, including one Serie A encounter between Inter Milan and Lecce, and has led to the Italian police making a total of 16 arrests, among them former Italy international Giuseppe Signori, since the investigation began in November.

Signori, 43, was among those arrested on June 1 amid claims by prosecutors that the 16 had been involved in manipulating results of matches in Serie B and lower leagues. He was today banned from football activities for five years.

Signori, Doni, Manfredini, Bettarini and Micolucci were among 26 individuals at the hearing, all of whom face bans of up to five years.

Italian football was last gripped by match-fixing allegations in 2006, when the Calciopoli affair saw Juventus stripped of two Scudettos and relegated to Serie B after being found guilty of trying to influence referee selection.

 

[Judge Jules]

At least it wasn't our Doni.