“We are in the first stage of the process, we suspect that there might have been results that were settled previously and even influenced by the referees and players”, admitted members of the court who are leading the investigation. This case emerged together with the crisis the Italian soccer is going through and is also similar to the German one last year, when referees and players admitted they had been taking bribes from gamblers.
Three traditional and very important teams from the local soccer could be involved in the scandal. The illegal bets make in Holland at least 40 million euros a year, according to the report that speculated that the group is from China or former Yugoslavia.
The decision for carrying out the investigation was caused by a study made by the Ministry, in which 30 soccer experts participated. Another investigation made by the Belgium Justice detected, months ago, that there was a Chinese soccer network in that country. It was discovered because of a settled score on a professional soccer game and leaded to the detention of the Chinese Ye Xheyun and the soccer player’s manager Pietro Allatta.