http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/18232319 With these new corruption allegations surfacing in Italy, does anyone know if the Juventus coach who is implicated is either charged or convicted, whether their place in the CL next year would be in doubt? They qualified as Champions of Serie A. Obviously considering a last minute reprieve for ourselves and the chances of anything happening legally before August must be remote, but we can live in hope......
It'll go to another Serie A team if anything however I don't think we'll even see the details of the allegations for awhile yet. Serie A is riddled with corruption but I'm sure they'd still find a team with no fraud investigations in the league to give a CL spot should any need to be stripped from teams.
I don't think that the league itself should be punished for bringing corruption to light, as it would discourage investigations. At least they're attempting to tackle it. EDIT: I've just read that a number of arrests to do with this case are in Hungary. You know, the same country that Martin Fulop comes from...
On the face of it, it looks more likely that Lazio and Genoa will be the teams punished for the simple reason it's their players implicated most in the affair - which means Lazio would get dropped from the Europa League and replaced with the next team down (which, ironically enough, is Roma), whilst Genoa and Lecce may swap places - as in Lecce stayed up, Genoa go down to Serie B. The difference in Turkey is that the CL place that Fenerbahce lost went to Trabzonspor, whose players and directors were caught accepting bribes, so they shouldn't be in the CL either. As for match-fixing in Italy's lower divisions, they're not so much fixed as they're told what the result is, or risk having their legs broken, by the Cosa Nostra/Camorra/'Ndrangheta/Sacra Corona Unita. Better get this man on the case... please log in to view this image
Match fixing at Juventus? They went unbeaten all season didn't they so someone didn't do a good job of it...
Given two of the players being questioned, Domenico Criscito and Omar Milanetto, both left Genoa last summer, common sense dictates Juventus aren't involved - because they finished seventh last season, five points off Europa League qualification. On the other hand, Genoa finished tenth, and once Domenico Criscito and Omar Milanetto left they finished 17th - whilst Lazio finsihed fifth and fourth in that timeframe.
HBIC...i will not let your humuour go to waste....that Montellbano is a class act! really i want to ask everyone this question...hand on heart...do you think that there is corruption in the Premier league...if so who and what makes you say that? sorry Relayer dont mean to side track your article just thought it would be an extension to the debate you brought up.
No probs Dona - my OP was rhetorical to all intents and purposes. And to answer you, no I don't think there is widespread corruption in the PL - but do think it exists at some level. It's been found in English County Cricket and arguably Rugby Union by way of the blood sub incident so I think it might be naive to think otherwise.
Wow, 1999 doesn't seem too long ago, then you realise it's 13 years! Still remember this day vividly: [video=youtube;UoPKTG-LKHY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UoPKTG-LKHY[/video]
UEFA current rules state that a maximum 4 teams from any one league can play in the CL so unless they change the rule in the closed season, which incidently is what they did for Liverpool, we would need either of the Mancs, l'arse or the Chavs to be booted out before we would be eligible to get the place.
Ah yes, Savage really was/arguably still is a Grade A <insert word>. Still, it made the victory that extra bit sweeter! And how about the following seasons, every time we played Leicester we'd have a chorus of "10 men! We only had 10 men!" Classic. Nielsen's winner was a beauty. The sprint from Iversen, the parry from Keller and then the diving header from the Dane - just had an iconic look about it. Just a shame, looking back, that it was Campbell who lifted the trophy
That's brought back some memories!! Forgot about the sending off - and some of those challenges!! Edinburgh was an idiot to get sent off despite the provocation but getting to twat Savage is at least a badge of honour. I had quite forgotten why I hate him so much (Savage that is, not Justin!!)
Just because Mateo Kovacic was mentioned in the transfer thread, I have to mention Dinamo Zagreb's loss to Lyon in the Champions League. Utterly, utterly rigged, with an unsubtle wink to go with it.
Neilsen busting a gut to sprint from our penalty area to theirs in order to get his head deserves a lot of respect. Lip-readers may also notice Edinburgh managed to say to the ref what everyone was shouting at their screens...
