Publications
Partners
Milan - Italian police have arrested seven people in connection with a match-fixing affair aimed at helping Serie B club Catania beat relegation to the country's third division.
Catania club president Antonino Pulvirenti, sporting director Pablo Consentino and ex-sporting director Daniele Delli Carri were all placed under house arrest along with two agents and two managers of online betting sites.
Reports in Italy said the seven were being held on charges of sports fraud after being accused of fixing the results of at least five of Catania's league matches last season.
Opened proceedings
A statement by the Italian football federation confirmed the reports but said several of those being investigated had already come the attention of federal prosecutors due to "irregular betting patterns.
"In relation to the case being pursued by Catania prosecutors... the federal prosecutor's office has already opened proceedings and has simultaneously requested the transmission of documents to the judges in Catania," said the statement.
"In this regard, for certain parties cited in the investigation, the federal prosecutors had already opened cases on the basis of reports received on irregular betting patterns."
Among the matches in question are Catania-Livorno, Catania-Avellino, Catania-Trapani, Catania-Latina and, in relation to another probe, Messina-Ischia.
Professional leagues
Dubbed "the Goal Trains", the scandal is just the latest in a series of affairs to hit Italian football.
Previously rocked in the past by the Calcioscommesse (2012) and Calciopoli (2006) scandals, the most recent affairs in Italy have been far less significant but have shown that match-fixing remains a problem in the lower leagues.
An investigation dubbed "Dirty Soccer" by the Italian media last month led to 50 arrests in connection with illegal match-fixing in 31 matches, mainly in Italy's lower professional leagues.
