The fix is in!
That sentence would normally produce heads to turn and arguments to take place, though, over in Italy, match-fixing has become a normal occurrence in football. Napoli are next in line to feel the wrath of the football police, as the club was deducted two-points by the Italian football federation's disciplinary committee for an incident that took place three seasons ago involving former goalkeeper Matteo Gianello's admission of guilt to prosecutors. The match in question happened at the end of 2010, with Sampdoria winning 1-0 and securing a lucrative spot in the Champions League.
Napoli was fined $92,000 and the point deduction dropped them from third to fifth in Serie A, 10 points behind leaders Juventus. Any hope of celebrating the Scudetto were seriously severed with the point deduction and the loss of team captain Paolo Cannavaro & Gianluca Grava for six months, after both defenders were found guilty of not reporting the fix.
The club and both players have denied any wrongdoing, and will appeal to the national sports arbitration court.
The investigations and accusations never seem to end. Napoli is the fifth club to be punished this season, and won’t be the last. The credibility of Italian football continues to suffer as a result.
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