-Conclusions on the infamous Genoa CFC case
Only in Italy can they come up with such capers. The sports authorities' trials against Genoa Cricket and Football Club, the first club in the history of Italian football, and fourth most successful behind the Juve-Milan-Inter trio, was in clear violation of the Italian constitution and the numerous laws against using telephone tapping in a trial which has nothing to do with the original reason why the phones were tapped. Genoa stood accused of attempting to bribe Venezia, a club already relegated from serie B to C1 by the last day of the season, so that they might be assured of victory. Judge Vigotti, the civil authority, told the football authorities they were quite right to have done so! And still the evidence was scarce. Everyone was being manipulated, pressurised, or bribed: the civil judge; the clubs; the individual players - Dal Cin of Venezia explained clearly (now that he's fired, that though Genoa did not pay a bribe, according to him, Torino paid big money in order to inspire the team to win. Result: Torino in B, Genoa, from first place in serie B, and therefore promoted to serie A this year, down to in C1, -3 points, possibly -9 points because they asked for a civil hearing, the deposition of the President and a stadium ban. Already this is the heaviest penalty inflicted on any team in Italian football, or international footballing history, a deduction of some 80 points.
Oh well. In two seasons, please God, the Gryphon will fly again in serie A! Meanwhile, over the past few seasons, just to give two examples, Fabio Cannavaro videotaped himself with a needle in his arm (not just a pretty face, then) and Juve's doctor is guilty of systematically doping the team from 1994-98. Result. Juve: no penalty. Cannavaro: eligible for the captaincy of the azzurri.
But that's Italy for you (it's pretty bad, but England's not that different from what I gather, or elsewhere- however Italy might just take the biscuit- a country through which so many of the origins of our Western civilisation can be traced, parallel to the corruption which accompanies it). It's all about €€€€€ and business, and vendetta, and not so much the colours these days. Very sad.
Who knows whom they'll go after next. You wait and see. It could be your favourite team. One needs powerful friends to survive.
p.s.
FORZA VECCHIO CUORE ROSSOBLù
ED IL GRIFONE INVINCIBILE da 1893!
Originally posted by sjegSe quell'idiota di Preziosi si risparmiava di comprare una partita all'ultima giornata contro una squadra già retrocessa allora non sarebbe stato giusto.
-Conclusions on the infamous Genoa CFC case
Only in Italy can they come up with such capers. The sports authorities' trials against Genoa Cricket and Football Club, the first club in the history of Italian football, and fourth most successful behind the Juve-Milan-Inter trio, was in clear violation of the Italian constitution and the numerous laws against u ...[text shortened]... to survive.
p.s.
FORZA VECCHIO CUORE ROSSOBLù
ED IL GRIFONE INVINCIBILE da 1893!
Così invece la giustizia ha fatto il suo corso e il Genoa è stato retrocesso in serie C.
For the english speakers:in poor words, a Genoa's employee was found with a bag with 500'000€ while he was going to meet a Venezia's employee to pay for the last soccer game of the season between the two teams which ended 3-2 for Genoa.
For the record Genoa was first and Venezia already relegated to serie C,so there was no need at all to buy the game,but they wanted to be 100% sure that everything would have gone fine.
They deserved the relegation to serie C.
Edit: the rest are bollocks.
Good, Genoa deserved everything they got.
I thought this was going to be a thread describing the decline of Italian football in general (which is not the case) - I like the Italian league, the top teams play football with some deep tactical thinking, unlike in England or Spain, where teams other than Chelsea seem to throw everyone forward - and the best attack wins.
Still, I wonder if Liverpool employed Genoa's tactic in Istanbul last year? It seems that some Italian teams are partial to a bit of cash...
Originally posted by RavelloNot sure I quite understood your English, though your Italian was quite clear, Ravello. Unfortunately your facts are rather confused, and though I respect your opinion, I hope you don't mind if I put you right.
Se quell'idiota di Preziosi si risparmiava di comprare una partita all'ultima giornata contro una squadra già retrocessa allora non sarebbe stato giusto.
Così invece la giustizia ha fatto il suo corso e il Genoa è stato retrocesso in serie C.
For the english speakers:in poor words, a Genoa's employee was found with a bag with 500'000€ while he was go ...[text shortened]... would have gone fine.
They deserved the relegation to serie C.
Edit: the rest are bollocks.
The employee from Venezia stopped in Genoa was carrying a sum of 250,000 euros, not illegal money as originally reported in the press, but lawfully withdrawn from club accounts. There was also an official document regarding the acquisition of one Maldonado, a player at Venice football club.
My points are the following:
1) whether guilty or innocent, we are all entitled to a fair trial and the presumption of innocence until proven otherwise, and not viceversa.
2)the the trials in this case were illegal, in that the prosecution was present during judgement, privy to information concealed from the defense, and the sports judges themselves were shown to be incompetent in their exchanging of insulting notes with one another, plus the phone tapping evidence- all was geared towards incrimination of the club
3) Most interestingly, just as most Italians reacted to this, Ravello,
your grief would not be that Genoa allegedly bought the match, but more that there should have been no need to have done so.
The last day of the season in serie A every year is evidence enough that this is the norm in Italian football. Torino reportedly paid money
so Venice might win. Genoa allegedly paid so Venice might not. This is a typical situation in Italian football. And generally Italians see nothing wrong with it, as long as you don't get caught. Indeed, most fans would complain if the owner of their club was too tight, or too much of an eejit to buy the last game, if crucial.
There is something sorely amiss in this situation.
As a fan, if the top level of the club are guilty or innocent, I'm sad to see the result. It's been 10 hard years in serie B, and a long wait to return to the top flight- a dream once realised, is cruelly snatched away.
sjeg