04/25/24
June 23, 2006
Juventus and three other clubs face relegation in Italy scandal: The two-time champions of Serie A seem to be in the worst boat, with Lazio and Fiorentina apparently likely joining them in a trip to Serie B, with AC Milan possibly scraping by with a fine and a club vice president having to resign as president of the football league. Ex-Prime Minister Burlesconi is already claiming his will be awarded the last two Scudettos when results of the tribunals are announced a day or so before the World Cup finals.
posted by billsaysthis to soccer at 11:35 PM - 13 comments
Mio Dio! That's a major scandal..wonder if Juventus, Fiorentina, and Lazio have lawyers good enough to save them from relegation. Bill or psmealey--how common are match-fixing scandals in European futbol? Is this one of the most major examples?
posted by curtangle at 01:43 PM on June 24, 2006
There have been recent low grade suggestions of match fixing in Belgium and Germany, but it's safe to say that a scandal that includes the Old Lady and other major Serie A clubs isn't going to be the biggest example. The last time Italy won the world cup the forward who won the Golden Boot, Paolo Rossi, had just returned from a match fixing ban.
posted by Mr Bismarck at 01:52 PM on June 24, 2006
I think if all four clubs are relegated it'd be the biggest match-fixing scandal to hit Italy, if not Europe in the last few decades. I stand open to correction though.
posted by squealy at 03:56 PM on June 24, 2006
My fingers astound me sometimes. "..and Serie A clubs is going to be the biggest example." Sorry.
posted by Mr Bismarck at 06:04 PM on June 24, 2006
All I can say is: GO AUSTRALIA!
posted by worldcup2002 at 06:43 PM on June 24, 2006
If Fiorentina get the boot, that'll be the second demotion in the space of a five years: the last came when the old club went bust and reformed in C2 as Florentia Viola. Ex-Prime Minister Burlesconi is already claiming his will be awarded the last two Scudettos when results of the tribunals are announced a day or so before the World Cup finals. Now that's fucking chutzpah. What will happen to the allocation of UEFA/CL places, I wonder? If I were in charge of UEFA, I'd strip the league of most of its places and reassign them to other countries. Or at very least make the teams who come out afterwards pre-qualify. And that certainly should happen if -- in typical Italian fashion -- there's some sort of deal that keeps the alleged offenders in Serie A.
posted by etagloh at 07:09 PM on June 24, 2006
I'd strip the league of most of its places and reassign them to other countries. I was thinking that very same thing, but it will probably never happen.
posted by psmealey at 07:53 AM on June 25, 2006
Thanks Mr Bismarck, squealy, and etagloh. And yes worldcup2002--Go Australia!
posted by curtangle at 11:17 AM on June 25, 2006
"I think if all four clubs are relegated it'd be the biggest match-fixing scandal to hit Italy, if not Europe in the last few decades. I stand open to correction though." It could be the worst in twenty four years, certainly. If all four go down it would be the worst in my memory, but I have a feeling only two will be relegated at most.
posted by walrus at 08:36 AM on June 26, 2006
Thanks walrus. Hmm--so this isn't new for A.C. Milan or Lazio. Has match fixing ever occurred in the EPL or the Bundesliga--or any other league?
posted by curtangle at 07:48 PM on June 26, 2006
What will happen to the allocation of UEFA/CL places, I wonder? This is why the investigation is going at such a rapid pace (for Italy) - FIFA has said either the Federcalcio gets its shit together & re-classifies the Scudetto or else the UEFA/CL places stand as is with the 4 teams under investigation. Thus, we're seeing more allegations come out that might not be penalised. Last week De Santis told investigators to poke around Ancelotti some more but the case has already been sent to court. AFAIK, any revelations about Ancelotti thus will go unpunished, at least for this go around. Or that's how the SO explained it (badly) to me. The inner workings of Italian Red Tape: Judiciary Branch are a complete mystery to me Now that's fucking chutzpah. Yes. Now when Milan gets penalised, watch for Berlusconi to blame the entire scandal on the Left.
posted by romakimmy at 04:07 AM on June 27, 2006
Meanwhile, the manager of Juventus suffers a nasty "accident"
posted by Fat Buddha at 09:39 AM on June 27, 2006
Wow. Good news for Inter and AS Roma, I guess.