De Santis to fight on
Monday 4 September, 2006
Massimo De Santis insists he had nothing to do with Calciopoli and says he will keep on fighting to prove his innocence.
The referee was handed a four-year ban for his involvement in the match-fixing scandal, but feels that he was punished unfairly.
“I was never part of a group,” De Santis, who was stripped of his World Cup chance following the probe, stated. “I will go on until the end to prove my innocence.
“I want to prove my innocence because I feel that I have been sentenced with no reason,” continued the man in black.
“I do not intend to go back to refereeing as after losing my World Cup chance I see no sense in returning to the job.
“I directed matches with joy and pleasure, trying to apply the rules with professionalism and I am sure I made some mistakes,” added the 44-year-old.
“However, I’m paying for one match, Lecce-Parma, which has nothing to do with the Luciano Moggi issue. They say I was a pro-Moggi referee, but strangely enough Moggi did not want me.”
De Santis highlighted the fact that in 2004-05 – the incriminated season – he directed Juventus four times, with the Bianconeri losing against Palermo and Inter, winning with Atalanta and drawing 1-1 with Parma.
The official also attacked Inter owner Massimo Moratti, who recently confessed that he had De Santis followed by a private investigator after the Chievo-Inter match when the Nerazzurri were damaged by his decisions.
“I was disappointed,” he concluded. “I would have never expected such an unpleasant thing from a person like him.”
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