Scandal ridden Juve sinking fast

There is a strong possibility of Italian champions Juventus missing the Champions League next year altogether. Even worse, they might be playing football in Serie B.

No chance, you say. Not after the club winning the Italian Serie A title for the second year in a row just last Sunday.

But Italy's most successful club is in imminent danger of being stripped of their last two titles and demoted to Serie B.

The club is muddled in a match-fixing scandal, resulting in its general manager and the entire board quitting amidst a probe by the Italian prosecutors.

The main investigation centres on telephone taps from last season featuring discussions about refereeing appointments between Juventus general manager Luciano Moggi and football federation officials. Moggi has been grilled by the prosecutors on Monday and he has claimed innocence.

Meanwhile in Naples, prosecutors questioned some big names in Italian football believing that these people were “informed about the events”. Among those queried include Inter coach Roberto Mancini, AC Milan boss Carlo Ancelotti, ex referee Pierluigi Collina.

Other aspects of the probe include the prominent role played by an agency run by Moggi’s son Alessandro. The agency – GEA World – is accused of forcing players and clubs to use its services. The Rome prosecutors have already spoken to AS Roma club officials and AC Milan and Italy defender Alessandro Nesta.

And the third aspect of the investigations is zoomed into allegations of illegal betting by professional footballers. Here too some big names are caught in the net. Perhaps the biggest being probed is Juventus and Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon.

These scandals and investigations have left the Italian Football in an utter mess. It is not just Juventus who is being probed but also clubs like Lazio and Fiorentina and AC Milan who are in the spotlight for being recipients of favours from Moggi’s match-fixings.

So far Moggi, former Italian Soccer Federation (FIGC) chief Franco Carraro, nine referees and the chairmen of Fiorentina and Lazio are among the 41 people under judicial investigation for the alleged match fixing.

All could face criminal prosecution but the biggest fall could be Juventus’. It need not be found guilty to be stripped of its titles and demoted to the second division. A mere attempt to influence results is sufficient.

Even as the investigations are ongoing, the repercussions are already being felt by the club. The scandal has wiped about US$62 million or 23 per cent, off Juve's market worth during the past week.

And financial daily Il Sole 24 Ore estimated Juventus could lose US$120 million in television and sponsorship income if forced out of the top league.

To pile further pressure, AC Milan’s owner Silvio Berlusconi wants his club to be made champions for the 2006 and 2005 seasons.

However the biggest fall out, apart from a soiled reputation, would be the haste in which the players will be jumping the sinking ship of Juve.