A football (soccer) scandal in Italy is taking its toll. One
Italian referee's accreditation to the upcoming World Cup in Germany has
been withdrawn, and prosecutors have ordered more than 40 people to face
questioning. The Vatican has denounced the scandal as an offense to sport.
With less than a month before the World Cup Championship in Germany,
the attention of Italians is focused on a scandal that has engulfed the country's national sport. Radio and
television broadcasts and pages and pages of newspapers are devoted to the
football scandal.
Prosecutors have opened a massive investigation into allegations of
fixing games and illegal betting. The Italian football federation Saturday
withdrew the World Cup accreditation of a well-known referee, after he was
implicated in the scandal.
Four teams in the top-level Series A are involved so far: Juventus,
Milan, Lazio and Fiorentina.
Industrialist Diego Della Valle, whose family owns Fiorentina, said he
is absolutely confident that his club is in no way involved in this
affair.
Juventus is one of Italy's most celebrated teams. But the entire board
of the team resigned last week, and its general manager is under
investigation for influencing referees.
More than 40 people have been ordered to face questioning. They are
being investigated for criminal association and sporting fraud.
Italy's star goalkeeper, Gianluigi Buffon, was questioned over
suspected illegal betting. He says he is innocent and wants to play in the
upcoming World Cup Championship.
The former team president of Bologna, Giuseppe Gazzoni Frascara, said
the scandal is almost enough to make one ashamed to be Italian. He
questioned whether the Italian team should even play in the world
championship.
He said it is sad that this is happening just before the World Cup,
which begins next month.
The Vatican newspaper, meanwhile, described the football scandal as an
offense to sports and to its values. |