Italian police investigating a widening soccer match-fixing scandal placed Juventus trainer Antonio Conte under investigation and arrested SS Lazio captain Stefano Mauri in a probe that also targeted Italy defender Domenico Criscito.
Police also visited Coverciano, the Italian national team headquarters where the Azzurri were preparing for a friendly match with Luxembourg today and searched the room occupied by Criscito.
As well as Mauri, police also arrested former Genoa midfielder Omar Milanetto, authorities said.
A police statement said five people had also been arrested in Hungary on suspicion of being part of an illegal international betting ring headed by Singaporean Tan Seet Eng, who was arrested in December last year.
Police in the northern city of Cremona said they had made 19 arrests and were investigating Conte, fresh from leading Juventus to the Serie A title for the first time since the club was relegated in 2006, in an earlier match-fixing scandal.
He is being investigated on suspicion of sporting fraud and fraudulent association over allegations concerning a match between his previous club AC Siena and Novara Calcio in April last year.
Police said searches were conducted at the homes of a number of players, trainers and administrators of clubs in Serie A, Serie B and the lower division Lega Pro on suspicion of involvement in match-fixing on behalf of international criminal organizations.
Yesterday’s operation was part of “Last Bet,” a wider investigation into match-fixing which has already seen a number of arrests.
“In this part of the investigation, indications have emerged of manipulation in matches from the 2010-2011 Serie A championship, including games between Lazio and Genoa, and Lecce and Lazio,” Raffale Grassi, director the police service responsible for the investigation, told SkyTG24 television.
Former Atalanta BC captain and Italy midfielder Cristiano Doni was banned for three-and-a-half years in August last year for his part in the “Calcioscommesse” match-fixing scandal involving Serie B matches last season. Former SS Lazio and Italy forward Giuseppe Signori was banned for five years, while 15 other players were banned for between one and five years in the same scandal.
If the Wild finally break through and win their first playoff series in a decade, Minnesota’s top line likely will be the reason. They were all over the Golden Knights through the first two games of their NHL Western Conference quarter-finals series, which was 1-1 going back to Minnesota for Game 3 today. The Wild tied the series with a 5-2 win on Tuesday. Matt Boldy had three goals and an assist in the first two games, while Kirill Kaprizov produced two goals and three assists. Joel Eriksson Ek, who centers the line, has yet to get on the scoresheet. “I think the biggest
From a commemorative jersey to a stadium in his name, Argentine soccer organizers are planning a slew of tributes to their late “Captain” Pope Francis, eulogized as the ultimate team player. Tributes to the Argentine pontiff, a lifelong lover of the game, who died on Monday at the age of 88, have been peppered with soccer metaphors in his homeland. “Francisco. What a player,” the Argentine Football Federation (AFA) said, describing the first pope from Latin America and the southern hemisphere as a generational talent who “never hogged the ball” and who showed the world “the importance of having an Argentine captain,
Noelvi Marte on Sunday had seven RBIs and hit his first career grand slam with a drive off infielder Jorge Mateo, while Austin Wynn had a career-high six RBIs as the Cincinnati Reds scored their most runs in 26 years in a 24-2 rout of the Baltimore Orioles. Marte finished with five hits, including his eighth-inning homer off Mateo. Wynn hit a three-run homer in the ninth off catcher Gary Sanchez. Cincinnati scored its most runs since a 24-12 win against the Colorado Rockies on May 19, 1999, and finished with 25 hits. Baltimore allowed its most runs since a 30-3 loss to
Arne Slot has denied that Darwin Nunez was dropped from Liverpool’s win against West Ham because of a training-ground row with a member of his coaching staff. The Liverpool head coach on Sunday last week said that Nunez was absent from the 2-1 victory at Anfield, having felt unwell during training the day before, although the striker sat behind the substitutes throughout the game. Speculation has been rife that the Uruguay international, whom Slot criticized for his work rate against Wolves and Aston Villa in February, was left out for disciplinary reasons. Asked on Friday to clarify the situation, Slot said: “He
RSS