Response to the article:
To whom it may concern,
An LA Times article recently landed on my desk and I feel the obligation to respond to author Grahame L. Jones for his ill informed attempt to cover a scandal that is obviously well beyond his scope.
In an article entitled “Juventus success does not erase ugly past” Grahame attempts to undermine Juventus’ triumphant return to the European elite with what appears to be references to tabloids, hearsay, and urban legends.
It is hardly uncommon for English based newspapers to use questionable sources in lieu of credible ones when a language barrier exists however I must say, I expected a little more professionalism from the LA Times.
Perhaps instead of utilizing translations from the Inter owned RCS Media Conglomerate’s tabloids like the Gazzetta and the Corriere Mr. Jones would have been wise to reference the actual sentence published by the FIGC after the trial that clearly stated on page 74 that no game was actually fixed. Maybe learning that since the scandal all of Moggi’s “cohorts” have been absolved of any wrongdoing would shock him…but it has occurred. Does Mr. Jones believe that Mr. Moggi was fixing matches by all by himself through telepathic hypnosis?
Before claiming that Juventus’ punishment “hardly fit the crime” he should have learned what that crime was. Again referencing actual trial documents (found on the FIGC’s website in the archive section) it would likely stun him to know that the team’s managers were convicted of unsportsmanlike conduct and not match fixing, an infraction that calls for a 3-5 point penalty and not relegation. That the punishment didn’t fit the crime is correct but his presentation of it was propagandist at best.
In the future it would be beneficial to have your writer’s do proper background research on topics prior to printing an article that will have your readers rolling their eyes. He could start here with the actual sentence publication from the very judges that presided over the tribunal:
http://www.figc.it/it/214/2006/07_8/ComunicatoStampa.shtml ...it’s the third link down.
Of course Grahame’s opinion of Italy’s most successful team is far from anyone’s priority list. Our objective is not to convince an uninformed American writer but rather to convince the judges who have already accepted our appeal in the European Courts. We the fans and shareholders have taken this injustice to the proper setting and are adamant that all that belongs to our team will be returned in due time. I wonder if Mr. Jones will be so eager to write an article when all is said and done.
Furthermore I wish to inform Mr. Jones that defamation of character is still a punishable offence across international waters and he wouldn’t be the only one explaining himself if we were to feel inclined. Bigger people than Grahame are currently shaking in their boots knowing that European Judges are looming. If I can offer a suggestion to Mr. Jones it would be to avoid getting our attention.
Socio di Giu Le Mani Dalla Juve