Soccer referee faces probe, but fights for Cup

Germany 2006 at risk for De Santis, investigated in Naples with managers of GEA World

Italy's top referee is battling for his place at this summer's World Cup, after it emerged he is in the spotlight of a probe that is shaking Italian soccer to its foundations.
Massimo De Santis travelled to Naples Wednesday, following newspaper reports that local prosecutors have placed him under investigation there for alleged sporting fraud.
De Santis knows the Italian Soccer Federation (FIGC) cannot send an official tainted with alleged involvement in criminal activity to Germany 2006 and is desperate to clear his name. He has reportedly not received official notification he is under investigation, which is standard practice in such cases, and went to Naples to seek explanations from prosecutors.
"I have earned my place at the World Cup and I'm not going to give it up without a fight," the referee said earlier this week.
The Neapolitan investigators, however, are reported to have told De Santis they could reveal nothing at this time.
Naples prosecutors are probing De Santis as part of an investigation into the company that handles most of Italian player transfers, GEA World. Rome prosecutors are scrutinizing the firm's activities too.
They are looking into alleged cases of "illegal competition with threats and violence" and abuse of a "dominant position" in the market. As a result of the probes, a number of referees' and soccer officials' telephone conversations were tapped during the 2004-05 season.
GEA World is owned by Alessandro Moggi, the son of Juventus Director General Luciano Moggi. Both are officially under investigation too. The scandal broke last week with the publication of wiretaps ordered by Turin prosecutors, recorded as part of a doping probe before and after the start of the 2004-5 season.
In them, Luciano Moggi asks referee-appointer Pier Luigi Pairetto to name "good" refs for three pre-season friendlies and chats with him about the refs assigned to two Champions League matches.
The content was explosive as it seemed to confirm Italian fans' age-old suspicions that the refs favour Juve.
The Turin prosecutors sent the wiretaps to FIGC in March after determining that, while no criminal charges could be brought, there could be a case to answer at sporting tribunals. But FIGC did not launch its enquiry until the conversations were published. This delay was one of the reasons FIGC President Franco Carraro resigned Monday. On Wednesday FIGC started to interview referees whose conversations had been tapped, as part of its investigations.
But the fear is that more damaging developments are going to emerge from the Naples and Rome criminal probes.
Several football professionals have talked about the scandal being the tip of the iceberg and have called for the system to be overhauled.
"This story of the wiretaps is very delicate, and I say that as an ex Juventino," said Fiorentina coach Cesare Prandelli last weekend. "I think those who have done wrong should pay. There will be other responsible parties apart from those who are emerging. "We should fire everyone. Not just those involved in the telephone conversations, but the directors of the federation too."
But the referees insist they are innocent.
"We are united at the moment and we want to make it clear in these difficult days that we are not willing to take this pummelling any more," said De Santis, claiming to speak on the behalf of all Italian refs.
"We have certainly made mistakes on the field of play, but we have never done anything wrong off it. We have always acted correctly and our dignity has always been of the highest.
"I and all of my colleagues are willing to cooperate with prosecutors as well as sporting justice, because we have nothing to hide."
Sunday Serie A's games will start 10 minutes late because of a protest by referees about the onslaught they are facing.
De Santis is one of two Italians selected to referee at Germany 2006. The other is Roberto Rosetti.

Publication Date: 2006-05-14
Story Location: http://tandemnews.com/viewstory.php?storyid=6253