Italian Football Federation Charge 33 People in Match-Fixing Probe

The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) has charged 33 people with alleged involvement in match-fixing, including former Bari goalkeeper Jean-Francois Gillet.

Gillet, 34, who currently plays for Torino, represented Bari for 11 years and could now face a five-year ban from football if found guilty.

The news comes following an investigation into two Bari defeats in Serie B, the Treviso match in 2008 and the game against Salernitana in 2009.

Current Bari captain Francesco Caputo and former defenders Andrea Masiello and Marco Esposito are some of the others involved.

Masiello had previously been handed a 22-month suspended prison sentence after admitting to scoring a deliberate own goal in a Serie A relegation-decider against Lecce in May 2011.

A statement published on figc.it read: “The federal prosecutor has examined the evidence found by the public prosecutor of Bari and, after carrying out a preliminary disciplinary investigation, has referred 33 members to the national disciplinary committee.

“With regard to Bari-Treviso on May 11, 2008, 11 members (Belmonte, Bonanni, Esposito, Ganci, Gillet, Lanzafame, Rajcic, Santoruvo, Spadavecchia, Strambelli and Pianu) are accused of “putting measures in place aimed at altering the performance and outcome” and another eight (Cavalli, Donda, Galasso, Gazzi, Ladino, Marchese, Masiello and Stellini) for failing to report their knowledge.

“With regard to Salernitana-Bari on May 23, 2009, 19 members (Esposito, Stellini, Santoni, Masiello, Lanzafame, Gillet, De Vezze, Guberti, Kutuzov, Parisi, Galasso, Bonomi, Caputo, Colombo, Bianco, Edusei, Fusco, Ganci and D’Angelo) are accused of “putting measures in place aimed at altering the performance and outcome” and another two (Gazzi and Barreto) for failing to report their knowledge.

“Bari are referred due to their objective responsibility for members involved in the games in question.”