Fabrizio Corona: Half of Serie A Involved in Illegal Betting, Including Juventus

^{Pictured: Fabrizio Corona} 

Italian journalist Fabrizio Corona has made headlines again, alleging that illegal betting among Serie A footballers is more widespread than currently recognized. According to Corona, ‘half of Serie A is involved’ in illegal betting, with Juventus being a significant participant, which is reportedly trying to prevent further investigations.

The Backdrop of the Football Betting Scandal

The betting scandal in Italian football came to light last fall, largely due to Corona’s revelations. The journalist, who previously worked as a paparazzo, disseminated information that several players were placing bets on football, an act prohibited by Italian laws. Among the players named by Corona were Nicolo Fagioli and Sandro Tonali, both of whom were subsequently found guilty of these infractions and disqualified.

However, Corona asserted that there were many more footballers involved in the scandal, even accusing Juventus of attempting to suppress the scandal.

“The football betting scandal isn’t over, but Italian law is like this, the trial is suspended, and we’ll hear about it again in a couple of years. Not all of the names have come out, half of Serie A is involved, but that’s how it goes when Juventus are in the middle of it”. 

Weighing Corona’s Credibility

Corona’s allegations should be taken with a grain of salt. Firstly, Corona himself, a former paparazzo, has a checkered past and has admitted to criminal offenses. Secondly, while the Italian prosecution did investigate other footballers named by Corona, only Fagioli and Tonali were confirmed to have violated the rules (interestingly, Fagioli is a Juventus player).

Lastly, reports surfaced that Corona was the subject of a court hearing in Milan late last week. The proceedings were to consider whether special supervision was warranted given Corona’s history of past misconduct. Despite the concerns raised, the court ultimately decided not to impose any restrictions on him.