Italian Football Scandal

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1

The principal accused in this scandal is Luciano Moggi, the General Manager at Juventus who stepped down (along with the rest of the board of directors) amid accusations of influencing referees.

I’ve just heard a news report on the radio that says that the Italian police were monitoring Moggi’s phonecalls and that he ‘made or received an average of 416 phone calls per day’. This in itself would raise suspicion. It has emerged that last season, when Juventus went unbeaten for 9 games at the start of the season and then lost 2-1 away to lowly Reggina that Moggi tooks matters into his own hands. After the game he went into the officials’ dressing room and screamed at them before walking out of the room, locking the door with a key that he’d stolen and then leaving for the airport with the key in his pocket. This came out not because the referee told anyone (the ref said that if he’d broken the story that he would have never officiated in Italy again, such is Moggi’s power) but because Moggi was overheard boasting about it on the phone.

Further allegations of softening up Juventus’s opponents (and, after they initially protested against but eventually signed up to the scheme, Fiorentina and Lazio’s) by giving key players yellow cards so that they’d be suspended against Juve have appeared in the Italian press. Also, the national goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon (and some other players) are accused of illegally betting on certain games. Houses and offices have been searched, accusations flung about, transcripts of telephone conversations published in newspapers - it’s a lot of fun. Romano Prodi recently described the situation as ‘beyond crisis point’. It is the most ludicrous and incriminating scandal ever to hit the football world but it doesn’t surprise me, there have been rumours of this sort of thing in several countries, including England, and it was only a matter of time before someone got caught.

In other news it looks like Thierry Henry is going to turn down the opportunity to join the ‘diving women’ of FC Barcelona and sign a 4 year contract at Arsenal.

news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/footbal … 993482.stm
news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/footbal … 989484.stm
news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/footbal … 985738.stm

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So I take it you’re upset by the UEFA Champions final?

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Not at all, Arsenal deserved to lose, I’d backed Barca from the start of the competition. I’m impressed by Rijkaard’s tactics too, noticing that Oleguer was getting lots of room but was doing nothing with it, and that the attacking 3 he’d lined up initially wasn’t working. He took off Giuly and put on Larsson, telling him to stay central and try to move the back four around to create space in behind them, keeping Eto’o to his role of running the channels. This produced the equaliser. He also subbed Oleguer for Belletti, who scored the second.

I should get out more…

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I’m a bit surprised. I would’ve figured that you would go for Arsenal. There’s no logic really behind that, just a hunch.

And I don’t know if I can really disagree with that last statement. :smiley:

Edit: And I completely agree with your analysis. It was a good pickup and he made very good midgame decisions. I don’t get to see too much European football games due to time difference and when I work so my exposure to coaches who actually use all their resources is quite lacking.

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I wonder if Rijkard spat in the trophy after he’d won it.

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Why would he do that? Have I missed something?

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In Italia '90 he spat in Rudi Voller’s hair about three times. I’ve disliked him ever since.

8

HEY!!!

All you gumbas back off my people.

You just don’t understand the Italian manner of effecting efficient business practices towards the greater end.

What a bunch of mooks. I’m calling Vinnie and Bruno, a little black bag treatment and a quick car ride should fix yous guys with your thinking problems.

LMAO :evilfun: