March 9 – FIFA has imposed worldwide bans on ”several officials and players” linked to match-fixing and illegal betting in Italy.
FIFA says in some cases officials were banned for life from “holding any kind of position” at the Italian federation.
FIFA did not identify officials and players involved in the matches, played in 2014 and 2015, which were investigated by prosecutors in Catanzaro and Catania.
Last June, Catania owner Antonino Pulvirenti (pictured) admitted to fixing five Serie B matches aimed at preventing the Sicilian club’s relegation to the third tier.
The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) and Olympic committee had already ordered suspensions from one to five years at a national level.
Match-fixing has become almost endemic in Italy with few lessons seemingly learned from the 2006 scandal that saw Juventus stripped of two Serie A titles and relegated with a 30-point deduction.
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