Soccer: Top Italy teams charged in scandal

ROME - Italy's football prosecutor has ordered four top teams, Juventus, AC Milan, Lazio and Fiorentina, to stand trial in a match-fixing scandal that could see them thrown out of the top league if found guilty.

The Football Federation (FIGC) said its prosecutor, Stefano Palazzi, had charged a total of 30 "subjects" for sporting fraud and violating fairness and probity, offences that can be punished by fines, bans and relegations.

FIGC chose not to identify any of the others who will face a sports tribunal that is due to start next week in Rome's Olympic Stadium where it will be broadcast by closed-circuit television to journalists from the world's media.

But a source familiar with the situation said Luciano Moggi - Juve's former general manager sometimes called "Lucky Luciano" because of his reputation as an influential character in the game - and former CEO Antonio Giraudo had been charged.

In an implicit acknowledgement that its CEO had been charged, AC Milan said on its website that Adriano Galliani - who on Thursday resigned as head of Italy's football league - had not violated the principle of fairness.

All involved have denied any wrongdoing in Italy's biggest sports scandal in a quarter of a century.

The FIGC statement was issued after Italy secured a place in the second round of the World Cup by beating the Czech Republic 2-0 - timed to avoid hitting morale in a game that could have seen the national side ousted from the tournament.

Fourteen players in Italy's squad play for the four teams that face trial, with eight of them, including captain Fabio Cannavaro and goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, in today's opening lineup.

Ironically the first player to comment on the news was Juventus midfielder and Czech playmaker Pavel Nedved.

"Whoever did wrong must pay and must go down to Serie B or even Serie C," Nedved said after his national side was bounced out of the World Cup after losing to Italy.

Phone-taps

The scandal erupted last month when newspapers published intercepted telephone conversations between Juventus's Moggi and senior FIGC officials discussing refereeing appointments during the 2004/05 season.

Media have speculated that league champions Juve could be demoted to Serie C1 - Italy's third division - and be stripped of the Serie A titles they won in the last two seasons.

Milan also risk sanctions after phone taps showed one of its officials discussing referee appointments with FIGC staff.

The club's owner, former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, said he was sure Milan would not be penalised "because the accusations are based on phrases that might be said in any conversation".

In an affair that bridges sport, politics and finance, FIGC was asked not to release the news during market hours to prevent disorderly trading in Juventus and Lazio.

Since the scandal broke in early May, Juventus shares have lost half their value.

Juve shares closed up 5.9 per cent on the day at 1.329 euros while Lazio shares, which only price once a day, added 4.32 per cent to 29 cents, according to data on the Bourse website.

A team convicted of "sporting fraud" risks sanctions ranging from having points deducted next season to relegation to a lower division and loss of titles.

The charge of "violating fairness and probity" can lead to warnings or fines as well as points deducted, relegation and loss of titles. Individuals risk being banned from the sport.

Any club or individual who is convicted can ask for an appeals trial which FIGC has promised will end by July 27, in time for FIGC to tell UEFA which teams will compete in next season's Champions League and UEFA Cup competitions.

- REUTERS