Match-Fixing Scandal. Italy’s Not Involved. Wait, Yes It Is.

Obviously, right?

No one’s pretending like Italy’s been even remotely clean – or not covered with a slightly less thick layer of filth – since the dark days of Calciopoli rattled the soul of Serie A and simply torpedoed the league’s standing in the European community. The Bundesliga even gets their fourth Champions League spot in 2012-13, so they’re still paying out of pocket.

“Raids” “Match-fixing” “Scandal”

Must be Italia.

There is one game which involves Serie A – Inter & Lecce – but mostly involves Serie B and perhaps most importantly, two of the teams which were promoted to Serie A for next season – supposed to be promoted, anyway.

Others listed include Ascoli-Atalanta, Ascoli-Livorno, Atalanta-Piacenza, Padova-Atalanata and Siena-Sassuolo.

Which, if you get out your trusty almanac, will show you all games involve teams which were in Serie A in 2009-10 and just relegated this past year. Are we so naive?

Nay.

Sixteen people, including former Lazio captain Giuseppe ‘Beppe’ Signori, have been arrested on suspicion of fixing matches in Serie B and Lega Pro.

The list of suspects also includes former Venezia and Sampdoria left-back Stefano Bettarini, ex-Fiorentina midfielder Mauro Bressan and one-time Bari captain Antonio Bellavista.

Current players in Italy’s lower divisions are also implicated.

Sergio Lo Presti of the Cremona police said a six-month investigation had uncovered ‘important and compelling’ evidence that those arrested were part of a criminal organisation manipulating results of league matches in Italy’s second and third division.

This looks to be a slow-ticking timer ever increasing in rapidity until the whole thing goes kaboom.

They never learn.

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Category: Serie A