Soccer: Police search Juventus players' homes

TURIN - Italian tax police searched the offices of champions Juventus, already reeling from allegations of match-fixing, and the homes of two of their top players yesterday.

Police entered Juve's headquarters as part of an investigation intothe club's dealings in the transfer market and also visited the homes of Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Italy captain Fabio Cannavaro, according to a source close to the investigation.

Transcripts of telephone conversations of Juventus general manager Luciano Moggi discussing the signings of the two players have been published in Italian newspapers.

Neither Ibrahimovic nor Cannavaro are under investigation by authorities.

Magistrates have placed Juve's chief executive officer Antonio Giraudo and Moggi, who resigned last week, under investigation on suspicion of false accounting relating to the club's transfer dealings.

Legal sources said police had seized documents relating to the club's signing of players from foreign teams.

The search warrant cited suspected irregular payments outside the terms of the players' contracts, the source said.

"We are not worried," said Luigi Chiappero, a lawyer for Juventus. "These are documents that we have always made available to judicial authorities."

Police were also visiting the homes of Moggi. Juventus denied Giraudo's home had been visited.

Sources in Naples said the police had visited the home of Moggi's son Alessandro as part of a probe into the operations of his soccer management company GEA World.

Juventus shares closed down 9.2 per cent at €1.3360, against a 0.58 per cent dip in the overall market.

The club, winner of the Italian league title for the second year running, have lost more than 40 per cent of its market value since May 9, before the board resigned, and is now worth about €165.7 million ($347 million).

Juventus face possible relegation to Serie B if its officials are found guilty of attempting to influence the outcome of matches.

The telephone transcripts showed Moggi discussing referees with the man responsible for refereeing appointments in Italy.

The Turin investigation is one of several to have rocked Italian football this month.

In Naples, 41 people, including officials of several clubs, referees and Football Federation executives, are under investigation for suspected match-fixing.

- REUTERS