Calciopoli Watch: FIGC Plan Investigation, Evidence Goes Missing Again, Moggi Renews Attack On Elkann, Cassano Italy Exclusion Explained?
Goal.com rounds up the biggest Calciopoli stories of the day so far...
By Salvatore Landolina Apr 16, 2010 12:00:00 PM
The Italian FA are preparing a team to open a new investigation into Calciopoli following all the new evidence that has been put forward by Luciano Moggi's defence team. The Judge at the tribunal of Naples, Teresa Casoria, accepted 75 calls, plus two cds containing over 6,500 contacts and phone call statements.
Tuttosport reports the federal prosecutor is in the process of gathering a panel of seven men who will finely comb all of the 171,000 calls that were made during the Calciopoli investigation period between 2004 and 2006.
But, in a sensational twist, Il Corriere dello Sport claims those 171,000 calls have mysteriously gone missing. It's the second time evidence into the 2006 scandal has disappeared without trace after Col. Attilio Auricchio was accused of holding back a number of calls in 2006 during the original investigation.
FIGC general director Antonello Valentini has explained they will follow indications from the trial in Naples, but confirmed they are not in possession of disks which contain the 171,000 calls. The race is on to find those, but for now the investigation will start with the 75 calls uncovered by Moggi's team at the trial on Tuesday.
"In relation to any judicial process, we will be following closely in the footsteps of the ordinary magistrates, and, we have confirmed with the federal attorney (Palazzi) that we never received those calls (171,000)."
Palazzi will now wait to hear back from Casoria in Naples and will decide whether or not the FIGC investigation will take place based on Moggi's evidence.
La Gazzetta dello Sport fears a blame game between the FIGC and the Tribunal of Naples in relation to the 171,000 calls.
Reports suggest Inter's 2006 title could be revoked and handed back to Juventus should the new planned investigation take off. And, some former Nerazzurri stars believe it would be the right thing.
In an interview with La Gazzetta Dello Sport Sandro Mazzola said: "I had said that that Scudetto should have been restored, and it must be."
Alessandro Altobelli: "Real Inter fans never joyed for the Scudetto handed to them on the table."
Despite the calls on Inter to hand the title back, the Nerazzurri will not bow to pressure.
Luciano Moggi has renewed his attack on John Elkann and the current Juventus ownership, blaming them for not defending the club.
"I had told Elkann what I thought. He did not defend us. I knew he wouldn't defend us because he had already spoken to [Jean-Claude] Blanc in 2004 and had plans to oust me and [Antonio] Giraudo," Moggi told Mattino Cinque.
"And, he did it. Good for him, but the results show that he made wrong decisions. Fans were used to a winning Juventus, that team no longer exists. The team needs to be rebuilt, all thanks to John Elkann."
Moggi's recent rants seem to have rallied the fans into taking their own vigilante actions. On Thursday night the team bus was attacked.
And, this morning, Sky Sport Italia report that a number of Bianconeri Ultras in Milan for tonight's Inter clash booed, jeered and heckled club directors as they appeared at the weekly Lega Calcio meeting.
Meanwhile, in one call Antonio Cassano, then of Roma fame, speaks to the then FIGC vice president Innocenzo Mazzini over a possible call up to the Italy national team, coached by Marcello Lippi at the time.
Cassano jokes with Mazzini over a call up and is eager to discover whether he will be picked. But, before Italy's game against Russia in February 2005, he hands Lippi a sick note and doesn't receive a call because he is supposedly injured.
However, three days later he plays against Inter. Speculative reports in Italy now suggest this could have sparked early collisions with Lippi, leading to his permanent exclusion since the former Juventus coach re-took the helm.
An extract of that phone call, as published by Il Secolo XIX, reads:
Mazzini: You are as fat as a bride. (Mazzini tells Cassano he needs to train harder)
Cassano: [laughs and jokes] I have to train? No, you have to give me the ball, and I will train the others.
Cassano then asks whether Lippi will call him, and Mazzini responds: You? yes, for sure, but, make sure you don't p*** about.
Three days later, Cassano presented the Italian FA with a medical certificate claiming he had an injury, days later he played for Roma.