I am really glad that the Italian teams that indulged in match fixing have been relegated. Juventus have always been accussed of match-fixing although no one has been able to prove it. Just being such a huge presence in Italy allows them to manipulate referees and schedulers. AC Milan backed by owner Silvio Berlusconi also use similar pressure tactics.
My only fear is that the severity of the punishments meted out to the clubs are so severe that the two biggest clubs in Italy will no longer play in Europe, reducing the glamour and popularity of Italian football. Can you imagine Champions league without AC Milan and Juve, without Kaka, Adriano, Del Piero, Cannavaro? All these stars who made their name in the World Cup will not be seen in the champions league.
What a loss! What a Champions League this will be with Inter, Roma, Chievo and Palermo representing the Italian League.When was the last time we heard of Chievo? Anyone outside Italy know any player from the club?
All I can say is how sad for a club of Juventus' history and stature have to face the shame of being relegated to Serie B for two years. Just like cricket, I think Italian football will take some time to recover from this blow. The only saving grace being them having won the World Cup and also football's popularity world-wide (unlike cricket's) will help football recover from this incident.
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