By David Gold
July 28 – Juventus coach Antonio Conte, centre back Leonardo Bonucci and winger Simone Pepe, will all have to respond to allegations of involvement in the betting scandal being investigated in Italy at a sporting tribunal.
Conte will appear for a two day hearing on August 1, with Bonucci’s case being heard on August 3.
Conte is alleged to have failed to report cases of match-fixing involving his Siena team as they won promotion in the 2010-11 season, with Pepe facing a similar charge.
Following promotion with Siena, Conte subsequently took over as manager of Juventus, whom he led to the title unbeaten last year.
It is an unwelcome distraction for the Bianconeri, who were relegated to Serie B in 2006 as a result of their involvement in the Calciopoli match-fixing affair.
At least this time it has nothing to do with the club themselves, with Bonucci (pictured below, right) facing a hearing relating to his time at Bari.
Reports say that Bonucci has most to lose – a potential ban of up to three years, while several months would be the most severe sanction for Conte or Pepe.
A number of players and clubs have been referred to the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) along with Conte and Bonucci for alleged involvement in this scandal.
“Thirteen clubs and 45 individuals have been deferred to the disciplinary committee as part of the investigation into betting in football, related to the investigation by the Cremona and Bari public prosecutors’ office,” said a statement from the FIGC.
“The Federal [FIGC] prosecutors have deferred Lecce and Grosseto for direct responsibility, while Ancona, Siena, Novara, Torino, Varese, Albinoleffe, Bari, Udinese, Portogruaro, Sampdoria and Bologna have been deferred for strict liability.
“Antonio Conte [is deferred] for violating article seven, point seven of the sporting code for ignoring their obligation to inform the prosecutors of the facts relating to the sporting malpractice pertaining to the game between Novara and Siena on May 1, 2011 after having referred to it in the pre-match meeting held a few hours before kick-off.”
Serie A outfit Siena themselves could face a points punishment if found guilty by the tribunal, while Lecce and Grosseto could be relegated to Serie C depending on the outcome of the case.
The investigation is part of the ongoing Calcioscommesse affair which saw a number of teams and players in the lower leagues punished last year for involvement with a betting ring.
Among those already punished include former Italian internationals Cristiano Doni and Beppe Signori.
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