New scandal looms in Italy


A new scandal is threatening to rock Italian football with 21 players accused of involvement in betting on the game.
The Gazzetta Dello Sport published on Tuesday a list of players the Udine Prosecution Office alleges to have had involvement in placing bets on Italian football over the period 1998 to 2005.
That list will now be conveyed to Italian Football Federation, who will decide what course of action to take.
Included on the lengthy list are Udinese marksman Vincenzo Iaquinta, Milan's Marek Jankulovski and Davide Di Michele of Palermo.
Should the players be found guilty, they could face bans and their clubs could be fined as betting in any form has been totally outlawed for professional footballers in Italy.
Earlier in the season, Sampdoria striker Francesco Flachi and former Blucerchiati team-mate Moris Carrozzieri received two month bans for breaching gambling rules, whilst the club were fined 200,000 euros for objective responsibility.
The list in full: Abeijon (Atalanta), Bia (ex-Bologna), Bordin (ex-Napoli), Di Michele (Palermo), Ferrante (Pescara), Fresi (ex-Inter), Gregori (ex-Udinese), Iaquinta (Udinese), Jankulovski (Milan), Kalac (Milan), Thomas Manfredini (Bologna), Margiotta (Frosinone), Pierini (ex-Udinese), Pineda (ex-Udinese), Pinzi (Udinese), Scarlato (Spezia), Schwoch (Vicenza), Sgrigna (Vicenza), Sommese (Mantova), Sosa (Napoli) and Walem (ex-Udinese).