Football
Reuters 18y

Soccer-Italy minister hints at amnesty for scandal clubs

ROME, July 7 - Italy's justice minister suggested
an amnesty may be suitable for clubs named in an alleged
match-fixing scandal so as not to punish players from the squad
who have reached Sunday's World Cup final against France.

"The government cannot get involved in this issue," Justice
Minister Clemente Mastella told the Corriere della Sera
newspaper on Friday.

"But I do think the majority of fans want an amnesty. As a
fan, let me say this: is it fair that (Fabio) Cannavaro and
(Alessandro) Del Piero and so many others should play in the
third division after everything they have done?".

Cannavaro and Del Piero are two of several Italy players on
the books of Juventus.
The Serie A champions face possible relegation to the third
division for what a prosecutor says was the club's role in the
scandal.

The club denies wrong-doing but one of their lawyers has
suggested relegation to the second division might be apt
punishment if Juventus are found guilty by a sports tribunal.

There have been several calls for an amnesty for Juventus
and the other three clubs caught up in the scandal, AC Milan,
Lazio and Fiorentina, given the efforts of Italy's players at
the World Cup in Germany.

But earlier this week Sports Minister Giovanna Melandri said
the proposal was "idiocy".

The World Cup final will be held in Berlin.

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