Match-fixer Moggi sentenced to jail term

AFP - 8 January 2009 18:55

Luciano Moggi, the man at the centre of the 2006 Italian match-fixing scandal, was sentenced to a year and a half in prison by a Rome court on Thursday.

ROME (AFP) - Luciano Moggi, the man at the centre of the 2006 Italian match-fixing scandal, was sentenced to a year and a half in prison by a Rome court on Thursday.

The former Juventus director general, whose son Alessandro was also given a one-year, two-month sentence, was punished for his dealings in GEA, the largest football agent company in Italy, as well as his role in the match-fixing.

GEA had 41 top flight Italian league players on their books, plus three Serie A presidents and several well-known coaches.

The court heard that Luciano Moggi and his son were guilty of coercion and strong arm tactics, particularly in the recruitment of Emanuele Biasi and Nicola Amoruso by GEA, presided over by Alessandro Moggi though prosecutors believe it was in fact Luciano who ran it covertly.

A separate match-fixing scandal came to light after telephone conversations revealed how selection of referees for league matches were being manipulated.

However, David Lippi, the son of Italy coach Marcello, was exonerated from the match-fixing affair though prosecutors had initially recommended a one-year, four-month sentence.

Neither Luciano nor his son Alessandro will serve their sentence however because the evidence which found them guilty came from a period in 2006 when an amnesty had been declared.