SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
The ongoing Catania match fixing scandal has seen the start of the Serie B football season pushed back two weeks from 21 August to 5 September.
The push back follows last month’s admission by Calcio Catania Owner/President Antonino Pulvirenti to fixing 5 Serie B matches in an attempt to prevent the Sicilian club from being relegated. Pulvirenti further admitted to profiting €500,000 in bets placed on fixed matches.
Pulvirenti is one of seven club officials to be arrested by a special anti-corruption and mafia crime unit, targeting corruption in Italian football. The unit is said to be investigating senior officials at football clubs’ Latina, Livorno, Trapani, Ternana and Varese.
Last week a Serie B league assembly was set up to judge the damage of Catania match fixing scandal. The assembly took the decision to delay the league start by two weeks, at the investigation was ongoing and Italian football authorities had not detailed the punishment Catania would receive.
Italian new sources have stated that if further Catania officials and club stakeholders are implicated in match fixing beyond Pulvirenti’s involvement the Sicilian football club may be demoted to the fourth tier of Italian professional football
This summer has seen Italian football rocked to its cores, following the revelations that National Team Manager Antonio Conte will be requested to stand trial on accusations of sports fraud. Cremona Prosecutor Roberto Di Martino will questions Conte over fraud allegations committed during his coaching stint at Robur Siena SSD.
Conte has denied any involvement in sports corruption, stating that he will prove his innocence in the matter
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Football & Sports integrity will be disccussed at the 2015 Betting on Football Conference – London Emirates Stadium 9 September
