Sannino named Siena coach amid investigation
Reuters - Monday 06 June 2011, 18:26
MILAN - Giuseppe Sannino signed a deal to
coach newly promoted Serie A side Siena on Monday despite an
investigation into alleged match-fixing which has enveloped the
club.
Siena, as well as fellow promoted team Atalanta, have been
named by police as two of several clubs whose matches in the
Italian second tier last season are being probed over illegal
betting and potential score manipulation.
The Italian Football Federation has launched an inquiry with
the two sides, who deny any wrongdoing in an affair which has
led to former Italy striker Giuseppe Signori being arrested,
waiting to see if their promotions may be affected.
Siena have continued planning for next term back in the top
flight and Monday's statement said Sannino, who coached modest
Varese to the Serie B play-offs last season, had penned a
two-year contract.
The Tuscan outfit were without a coach after Antonio Conte
left following their promotion to take the reins at his former
club Juventus.
Once mighty Juve have struggled since being demoted in a
match-fixing scandal five years ago and one state prosecutor
said on Monday that the new probe into possible irregularities
in Serie B could turn out to be just as serious as the 2006
case.
Investigators have said a handful of Serie A games may have
been affected this time and the Italian newspapers have been
awash with stories about the fresh scandal.
In the 2006 affair, which revolved around corrupt referees
rather than betting, Juve general manager Luciano Moggi was
banned for five years from football for his involvement.
In a separate development to the new case and the criminal
trial still going on into the 2006 scandal, the Italian Football
Federation met on Monday to discuss banning Moggi for life with
a final decision due soon.