Italy Gambling and Casino law News Source: http://archives.tcm.ie
Buffon quizzed over betting allegations
ITALY keeper Gianluigi Buffon was called away from preparing for the World Cup yesterday to be quizzed by prosecutors investigating alleged illegal betting.
Magistrates in Parma and Turin want to determine if the Juventus player — the world’s most expensive keeper — struck bets on his team through unauthorised bookmakers.
Buffon, who was grilled for two hours by magistrates in Parma, is one of four people under suspicion of floating the law on illegal gambling.
“There’s nothing conclusive both on the legal or sporting front, we are absolutely calm about it,” said Buffon’s lawyer, Valerio Corini.
Buffon has already admitted placing bets when he voluntarily appeared before prosecutors in Turin on May 13.
But he insists he stopped when the Italian football federation (FIGC) made gambling on any matches an offence last year.
“I’ve always respected the rules. I’ve bet on international football because here in Italy it’s not possible to do so.
“But when players weren’t allowed to bet, I stopped immediately. That was in the autumn of 2005.”
If found guilty of breaking FIGC’s rules on betting, Buffon could face a ban from between three months and three years.
The other players at the centre of the inquiry are Mark Iuliano (Sampdoria), Enzo Maresca (FC Seville/ESP), and Antonio Chimenti (Cagliari).
In the meantime, public prosecutors in Turin have ordered the seizure of financial documents concerning the transfer of 41 players by Juventus in the latest development of the scandal embroiling Italy’s top club.
Some 71 teams from the first division down through to the amateur champions have also received requests for information from the prosecutors on the buying and selling of players from and to Juventus.
Among the 41 players whose transfer details have been requested are French midfielder Zinedine Zidane, who was signed by Real Madrid from Juve in 2001 for a world record €75.1 million, Real Sociedad striker Darko Kovacevic, Benfica’s Fabrizio Miccoli and Dutch goalkeeper Edwin Van Der Sar, currently with Manchester United, but signed from Juventus by Fulham.
The prosecutors, whose period of interest is from 2000-2005, are looking to find out if the club entered lesser sums for the sales of players to avoid paying more taxes.
The move comes as Juventus are suspected of fixing matches and collusion with referees last season. If found guilty, they could have this season’s title taken away from them, or be relegated to the second division.
In another development, the FIAT-owned side named coach Fabio Capello as their new general manager, with responsibility for transfer policy.
Juve said Capello would continue coaching as well as being in charge of the “technical area” and transfer market.
Alessio Secco has been appointed as head of sporting activities.
“From now on, Alessio Secco will be working with Fabio Capello to prepare the next sporting season 2006-2007,” said Juve chief executive officer Carlo Sant’Albano .
Secco, 36, former manager and press attache at the club, replaces Luciano Moggi, sacked last week amid the burgeoning scandal.
Moggi is at the centre of the scandal after Italian papers published transcripts of phone calls intercepted in 2004 between him and Pierluigi Pairetto, head of the Italian referees’ association and a member of UEFA’s referees’ commission. |
|
