Juventus May Go Down in Italian Football Scandal

Filed in archive Betting on June 20, 2006

Match fixing, illegal betting, referee manipulation. All is not well in italian soccer.

The scandal potentially involving a number of big Italian clubs broke a few weeks before the World Cup. Now there's a threat that Juventus- the Italian Seria A winners is suspected of fraud and could be relegated to the second or even third division. Other teams implicated include Lazio and AC Milan - whilst there's whispers about Sampdoria as well.

The report into the scandal has been completed and decisions about trials could start next week. The fate of each club would be decided after this. Allegedly the scandal is not just single matches - but appears to be a structured event. Juventus' former chief exec and ex-team general manager are at the centre of it.

Federation spokesman Stefano Balducci would not confirm reports that Juventus and Milan are in the worst trouble - but he did say that Juve was being investigated for sporting fraud.

Milan was suspected of trying to put in place a system of manipulation of Serie A games competing with that allegedly run by Juventus.

The position of Sampdoria, the latest Serie A club to be dragged into the scandal, was not clear.

Article: Reports: Soccer scandal probe could end in relegation for Juventus