:rolleyes: WHAT A FARCE
ROME, July 26, 2006 (AFP) - The Italian press on Wednesday slammed magistrates in Serie A’s match-fixing trial for their dramatic climbdown which saw Lazio and Fiorentina reinstated in the top division and AC Milan allowed into the third preliminary round of the Champions League.
The three clubs received softer penalties after successful appeals against their original sentences for influencing the outcome of match results in the 2004/05 season. Juventus, the ringleaders in the scandal, had their relegation to Serie B confirmed but with fewer points deducted for the new season.
A rotten trick,'' headlined Il Libero newspaper. The usual fudged Italian compromise. This isn’t justice. Once again the magistrates have chosen the ‘Italian’ solution.’’
La Repubblica were equally damning of the judges’ u-turn. The embarrassing and disheartening appeal verdict saw eveything swept under the carpet,'' it wrote. Only Juve pay, the rest are pardoned. It’s the same old timid handling by the sports tribunal.
Discounts for everybody and an incredible gift for AC Milan. It ended with reduced sentences for all and an unpleasant feeling that football wants to pretend that at the end of the day nothing happened. It’s scandalous to put your head in the sand and make out that it was just an hallucination.’’
Juventus, the club most heavily implicated in the scandal and whose last two league titles (in 2004-05 and 2005-06) were stripped from them, were given a 17-point penalty for the start of next season rather than 30, giving them a chance of a swift return to the top division.
Lazio and Fiorentina won back their places in Serie A with penalties of 11 and 19 points respectively, but together with Juventus were prevented from participating in European competitions next season.
Most surprising was the leniency shown by the judges towards AC Milan. The club owned by former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi received a potentially lucrative reprieve after they were allowed to take part in next season’s Champions League preliminary round.
If they win the two-legged tie and qualify for the main draw, they are likely to earn millions of euros in gate receipts and television money and will fancy their chances of going far in a tournament in which they have had great past success.
A little sting,'' headlined sports daily Gazzetta dello Sport. Reductions in sentences for everbody. The biggest beneficiary on an exhausting day was AC Milan, given a chance to reach the Champions League.’’
The presidents of Lazio and Fiorentina have said they will take their cases up with the civil courts in attempt to win back their places in European competition.
However Wednesday is deadline day set by UEFA, European football’s governing body, for the entry lists for their competitions.
As it stands, Inter Milan, who are expected to be awarded last season’s league title, and Roma will have direct entry into the Champions League group stages, while AC Milan and Chievo will go into the third qualifying round.
Palermo, Livorno and Parma will take part in the UEFA Cup.
The match-fixing scandal broke in May after transcripts of former Juventus general manager Luciano Moggi telling the head of Italy’s referees association which officials to appoint to specific Juve games were published in Italian papers.
Moggi used his power and influence as the key figure at Italy’s most successful club to assert control of Italy’s top referees and high-ranked football federation officials.
The tribunal handed Moggi and Juve’s former chief executive Antonio Giraudo five-year suspensions from all sporting activities.
AC Milan were dragged into the scandal after former director Leonardo Meani was found guilty of making a request to the Italian referees association for a specific linesman for a match against Chievo in April 2005.
The club have distanced themselves from Meani, saying he acted alone without informing the other board members.