Inter = Dirty, Dirty Cheaters!
By: Martha | December 4th, 2006
You know how Inter came through the whole Calciopoli thing not only unscathed, but with an extra Scudetto in their pockets? And how that seemed sort of odd, at least in passing? And how cynics said “Well of course — what Berlusconi wants, Berlusconi gets” when Milan’s heavy punishment was almost entirely lifted? Well, it’s starting to smell like he wasn’t the only owner manipulating things. (Shocking, right? I know.)
According to an interview former refereeing designator Paolo Bergamo (the guy whose voice was heard on many of the evidence tapes) gave to some random Italian paper yesterday, “Someone picked the wiretap recordings they wanted released and threw away others that didn’t contribute to their final aims.” Many of the excluded tapes, he claims, featured Inter representatives aggressively questioning the assignments of referees and, it’s suggested, working for the same sort of favors granted the punished clubs. According to Bergamo, “Inter were the ones who complained more than anyone. They suspected everything, as there were a lot of referees they didn’t want assigned to their games, while the draws didn’t please them. Juventus and Milan scared them.” Specifically, he points the finger at previously angelic Inter President Giacinto Facchetti — who, by the way, it pains him to mention, as the man was a longtime friend. (Of course, being dead an all, Facchetti is unable to either tell the press he doesn’t know Bergamo from Adam, or to shout his innocence from the rooftops. Which is sad, because that would be fun.) And, just in case that’s not enough stirring, Bergamo also mentions Roma as a club from whom he often fielded requests for specific officials — though for them it was “a superstition issue,” not corruption. Never that.
If we’re being honest, none of this is remotely shocking — did anyone actually believe that Italian football could be so utterly corrupt without all of the top clubs being involved? Please. Nevertheless, Bergamo’s words, despite being clearly intended to shift the spotlight to anyone else, will offer more fodder to both the press and the ongoing inquiry into the scandal. Which, given that Juan Sebastian Veron’s illegal passport case just recently finally came to some fruition, won’t be wrapped up any time this decade.
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Comments
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Martha, you might be right, and time will tell because Berlusconi is not the only guy in Italy who gets what he wants done.
Now you base your argument on 2 elements.
1. An interview Paolo Bergamo gave the sports paper Futbol Italia.
2. The mere logic that says: If the other big ones are involved, Inter are involved too.
So far, a day later, I haven’t seen any mention of that interview in any major newspaper of the world, so this big development could still be cooking.
Yet, I believe you chose a very poor title for your thread. At least up to now.
Calling Inter: “Dirty, dirty cheaters” with what you have on them, sounds cheap to me. Cheap as the sports paper you quote.
Again, it’s too early to tell, but we’ll see soon enough. Will Inter go down too?
Now, after so much has already come to light ?
Or are you going to have to eat those words you used as a title?
Sharp words to swallow indeed.Posted from
United States
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You may be right, Albo — I’ll certainly report if it Inter are proved to be just as angelic as they claim. That said, however, I can’t imagine that anyone who knows the history of Italian football believes for a second that things in this scandal are as limited as the punishments handed out made them seem. It would surprise the hell out of me if Inter received any significant punishment, but unpunished and innocent are in no way the same thing.
And, for what it’s worth, I’ve seen mention of the article on several news sites and a few soccer blogs — we’ll see if it goes further.
Posted from
United States -
Martha, thanks for your kind response.
Now, you say:>> I’ll certainly report if it Inter are proved to be just as angelic as they claim.>>
Let me remind you though, that people and institutions are never supposed to prove their innocence.
I imagine corruption reaches mostly every club and every country (my country for sure).
But when we publish words that may offend other people we have to be prepared to back them up with clear concrete evidence. Didn’t mean to preach on you. SaludosPosted from
United States -
Hi, I’m from Milan, I’m a Inter Milan fan. I didn’t read latest Paolo Bergamo’s interview on that “cheap magazine”. I just can tell that Paolo Bergamo should speak in front of a court, where you must to say the truth, not in front of a journalist of a magazine, where you can say whatever you want.
If Inter did something wrong, it was to accept latest scudetto. But what Moggi and friends did was much worse than any complaining Inter could say to Bergamo about officials.
Simonps sorry for my English.
Posted from
Italy
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