Seria A Teams Face Relegation

I don't see how parity eliminates corruption. Corruption is a human talent that never ceases to amaze.

They dug their own graves...needlessly.

 

All of this has been common knowledge for years -- especially about Milan and Juventus. This is like Claude Rains suddenly discovering that there's gambling going on. I say leave the clubs' status alone and imprison their chairmen.

but isn't one of them PM of Italy still?

 

Nope, Berlusconi (mentioned in the article) is no longer PM of Italy. Romano Prodi beat him in the elections this past spring.

And there is a lot of speculation on how Mr. Berlusconi came to his wealth. :wink: Italy, what a country.

 

There's always been a bit of this in Italy and, to a lesser degree, in Spain. While there's not always outright "fixing," officials have always known that if they judge penalties and yellow/red cards NOT in favor of Milan, Juventus, Real Madrid, they'll never get "big matches" again. This isn't technically "match fixing" like we saw in the German cup last year, but it certainly does affect the outcomes of the matches. This is all tied up with a bad combination:

a. megamillionaire industrialists with strong political clout running these teams AND
b. weak and somewhat ineffectual national governments AND
c. a populace that often feels more loyalty to the team than to the government.

 

I'll agree with you to certain extent Hatterdon.

A. Yeah, teams had a lot of $ to offer to the refs.
B. Why should national governments enter Entertainment and Sports? I don't want the gov't taking part of pay-check to pay for such nonsense--I can do that on my own.:big grin: I will leave the governance of sports to the appropriate sporting federations, it's in their interest have a properly run organization--they will lose fans and $ if nobody feels the sport is legit.
C. The teams' chairmen offering refs deals they couldn't refuse was the cause in this scandal and they should suffer the consequences. Enforce the sports' federation rules, relegate the teams involved. Kick the refs out for life, fine them, and send them to prison for accepting the bribes. Then the federation should look at how the teams contacted said refs and got them officiate their games and then put appropiate measures in to eliminate it. Loyalty to government? We just celebrated Independence Day. Where would this country be if the colonials were loyal to the British government? :3d footy:

 

Ah, Miz Heather, I see that the portion that you disagreed with was one that I didn't make myself clear enough on. I was not in any form encouraging a government intervention in the sports business. To the contrary, I'd like to see less political action on sports everywhere -- especially here.

The point that I didn't quite make was that in a country with a weak, ineffectual parliamentary government, individual mega-millionaire industrialists routinely work above the law. This tends to engender a complete disrespect for the law as it purcolates down. In this reality, an official is going to feel a lot more pressure from a team owner to break the law than from the local constabulary to obey it.

Italy has been living that reality since the end of WWII and the auto barons there have been doing pretty much what they wish ever since. Spain's millionaires ran amok under Franco, and their tacit support of the constitutional monarchy that replaced him was a pretty much hands-off government. These guys view their teams as extensions of their .. uh .. ego, and so run rampant as they do in business.

For the best non-Italy/Spain example, have a look at Russia over the last 10 years.

 

I agree your points. Indeed there should be respect for the law from all citizens. The rule of law should never favor one class of citizens over another. And Italy is one country where side deals make the country run, and does so because no one really says anything. It should stop. Will it? Not sure, depends on the citizens to do their bit.

But I do think the Italian Football Federation should and will do the necessary procedures to keep the sport clean. It is in their interest to do so or no one will take them seriously. Who wants to watch a fixed boxing match?

 

Re: RE: Seria A Teams Face Relegation

I agree. I think the Italian FA will respond, if only to placate UEFA and FIFA. It'll be interesting to see if the Italian FA will then take a step to bust up the fascist gangs on the terraces. THAT would be progress.

Enjoyed the discussion. Must turn on my TV soon. later

 

That's still quite a punishment. I had expected the point debits to be erased. There you go; wrong again!

I didn't read far enough! AC Milan have their point deduction halved and can play in the ECL. I'm disgusted again.