2011–12 Italian football match-fixing scandal


The 2011 Italian football scandal emerged on 1 June 2011 after a number of football-related figures were arrested or placed under official scrutiny by Italian police for alleged match fixing. The list included well-known figures like former Italian international footballer Giuseppe Signori, as well as former Serie A players Mauro Bressan, Stefano Bettarini and Cristiano Doni. The group was accused of having fixed a wide range of Serie B, Lega Pro Prima Divisione and Lega Pro Seconda Divisione games.
The inquiry started following a denunciation from Lega Pro Prima Divisione club Cremonese, instigated by internal suspicions involving first team goalkeeper Marco Paoloni, who was sold to Benevento in January 2011.

First investigation, June 2011

Involved figures

Some of the involved persons had already been questioned or condemned for similar charges: Cristiano Doni was acquitted in 2000, whereas Vincenzo Sommese and Stefano Bettarini were each disqualified for six months due to illegal betting.

Potential consequences

Following the inquiry, media speculated about the possibility that Atalanta and Siena might lose their right to play in Serie A in 2011–12. Atalanta's situation was considered particularly delicate due to the direct involvement of Cristiano Doni in the match fixing process, whereas Siena was accused of having paid Sassuolo players in order to obtain a win by more than three goals ; Sassuolo, Ascoli, Padova and Piacenza were also mentioned in the inquiry and were at risk of being punished by the Federation due to the "objective responsibility" law.

First-degree sentences

On 9 August 2011, the Italian Football Federation announced the first-degree charges for all involved parties in the scandal.

Clubs

The Corte di Giustizia Federale of Italian Football Federation announced the following appeal.
The Tribunale Nazionale di Arbitrato per lo Sport of the Italian National Olympic Committee announced the following final appeal:
On 11 October 2011, as part of a betting investigation, FIGC announced the ban for match-fixing of Juve Stabia – Sorrento on 5 April 2009. The case was referred to FIGC by Naples criminal court.

Sentences

Club

People

Second investigation, December 2011

On 19 December 2011, a new police operation coordinated by the Magistrature of Cremona led to a number of high-profile arrests, including active and former footballers such as Cristiano Doni, Luigi Sartor, Alessandro Zamperini, Nicola Santoni, Carlo Gervasoni and Filippo Carobbio. The inquiry started after Gubbio defender Simone Farina denounced a match fixing attempt from Zamperini, with a subsequent investigation leading the police to unveil a complex gambling system involving criminal figures in Singapore, Eastern Europe and Italy with interest in fixing football games all over Europe. Both investigations were initiated and helped by abnormal betting flow reports. Those reports were generated and reported to authorities by Austrian bookmaker SKS365.
The scandal then dramatically evolved a few months later: on 28 May 2012, a number of higher-profile players were involved, and the Cremone Magistrature went on to arrest Lazio vice-captain Stefano Mauri, former Genoa captain Omar Milanetto, Cristian Bertani, Paolo Acerbis, Matteo Gritti, Alessandro Pellicori, Ivan Tisci and Marco Turati, whereas José Joelson Inácio was put under house arrest and Kewullay Conteh and Francesco Ruopolo were forbidden to leave the country. More football figures were also put under investigation: among these, Juventus Serie A-winning head coach Antonio Conte, former Milan star Kakha Kaladze, Genoa striker Giuseppe Sculli, Chievo striker Sergio Pellissier and Italian international Domenico Criscito who was training at Coverciano with the Azzurri team at the time, and was excluded from the UEFA Euro 2012 roster as a consequence.
Shortly after the latest arrests, Premier Mario Monti publicly suggested that football competition in the country be suspended for at least two years. He indicated that this was his personal opinion, not a formal government proposal. The manager of the Italian national team, Cesare Prandelli, said he "would have no problem" if his side were barred from Euro 2012 in the wake of the scandal.

Sentences

The National Discipline Commission of the Italian Football Federation announced the first-degree charges for some involved parties in the scandal on 31 May and 18 June. On 6 July 2012 "Corte di Giustizia Federale" of FIGC announced the appeal ruling.

Clubs

;Appeal

Sentences - September

On 18 June 2012, FIGC announced that the discipline action against the following players were suspended due to criminal body had started the legal process, the committee resumed the action in September.
NameSentences Appeal
2-year, 6-month ban from football activities—
2-year, 6-month ban from football activities—

Third investigation, March 2012

Following intensive interrogation in March 2012, the authority of Bari and Cremona had referred several players, coaches and clubs to Italian Football Federation for disciplinary action as the third lot of operation. This included Siena coach Antonio Conte, as well as Italian internationals Leonardo Bonucci of Bari, Simone Pepe of Udinese, and Marco Di Vaio of Bologna.
On 1 August, Conte's plea bargain was rejected. On 10 August 2012 Pepe, Bonucci, Di Vaio and three other players were acquitted along with Udinese. A series of appeals from both sides was rejected by the judge; however, Grosseto and club president Piero Camilli were acquitted.

Sentences

Clubs – Cremona line

Clubs – Bari line

People – Cremona line

People – Bari line