Italian football seems to lurch from one scandal to another so I should not be surprised at the news today that Napoli could be docked points and a number of their players banned as part of the Italian Football Federation’s next stage of their betting probe.
The club have come under the spotlight after former goalkeeper Matteo Gianello was accused of attempting to fix the outcome of a game at Sampdoria in 2010.
Although Paolo Cannavaro and Gianluca Grava rejected Gianello’s requests to help fix the match, the pair could be punished for failing to report the incident to the Italian Football Federation. Which begs the question. If your teammate asks your help in fixing a match, wouldn’t you at least go to the manager if not the police?
Juventus boss Antonio Conte is currently serving a suspension for failing to report knowledge of a bid to fix a Siena game while he was Coach in Tuscany.
If found guilty Napoli could be fined or lose points, while Cannavaro and Grava could face suspensions.