Publications
Partners
Rome - Lazio captain Stefano Mauri has been banned for six months by the Italian FA for failing to report match-fixing.
The soccer tribunal also fined Serie A club Lazio 40,000 euros ($53,100) and Lecce, demoted to what is effectively the third tier in Italy for their part in the scandal, 20,000 euros.
Mauri was one of eight players accused of sporting fraud relating to Italian Cup winners Lazio's final two matches of the 2010-11 season, when they beat Genoa 4-2 at home and Lecce by the same score away.
The midfielder was found guilty of failing to report match-fixing relating to the Lecce match, but cleared of any wrongdoing regarding the game against Genoa.
Mauri said he would appeal against the ban.
Lazio and Lecce escaped being docked points, as requested by prosecutor Stefano Palazzi and Genoa were cleared in the decisions handed out on Friday
The prosecutor had asked for Mauri to be banned for four and a half years.
"I am happy that my Lazio will not have to start with a points penalty, but even this sentence for failing to report seems an injustice to me," Mauri said in a statement on his website (www.smauri.it).
"I'm trusting in the next levels of justice to allow me to leave this ugly episode behind me.
"My aim is to get on the pitch with my team mates as soon as possible."
Centre-back Alessandro Zamperini was given two years on top of an existing five-year suspension from a different case, while goalkeeper Mario Cassano was suspended for five months on top of an existing five-year ban. Lecce's Stefano Ferrario was banned for six months.
Padova's Omar Milanetto, Napoli goalkeeper Antonio Rosati, currently on loan at Sassuolo, and Lecce's Massimiliano Benassi were all cleared.
Dozens of players have been charged in the last two years in investigations into 'Calcioscommesse' or match-fixing, in which players are accused of fixing the outcome of games in return for payments from gamblers.
Italian soccer has also suffered from a series of racist incidents and on Thursday, Sassuolo, due to play in Serie A for the first time this season, were fined 30,000 euros ($39,800) after their fans racially abused AC Milan midfielder Kevin Constant.
Constant was fined 3,000 euros for kicking the ball towards the opposition's fans and walking off the pitch during the July friendly.
Earlier this year Kevin-Prince Boateng of Milan also walked off the pitch in protest at racist chanting by Pro Patria's home fans. ($1 = 0.7528 euros)
