Showing posts with label Italia. Show all posts
Wednesday 15 October 2014
Italian tennis players face corruption accusations
(AP) — Italian tennis players Daniele Bracciali and Potito Starace are facing corruption accusations after intercepted Internet conversations claiming they sold matches were printed Wednesday in Italian media.
The conversations are part of the extensive data that judicial investigators in Cremona have been sorting through as part of a widespread match-fixing inquiry into soccer.
In a July 2007 conversation on Skype between Bracciali and an accountant who was arrested in 2011, Bracciali discusses arranging a match in Newport, Rhode Island, against American player Scoville Jenkins.
Jenkins won 6-2, 6-1.
In 2011, an owner of a betting parlor who was later arrested is heard saying that Starace agreed to sell the final of a tournament in Casablanca.
Pablo Andujar of Spain won the final 6-1, 6-2.
Prosecutor Roberto Di Martino, who is leading the Cremona inquiry, confirmed to The Associated Press the authenticity of the conversations.
Di Martino added that foreign tennis players might also be involved.
"I can't rule that out," Di Martino told the AP. "But I can't say anything more for now."
Bracciali and Starace, neither of whom are officially under investigation, had no immediate comment.
The Last Bet operation has resulted in more than 100 people placed under investigation in Italy since mid-2011, with suspect soccer matches being looked at by prosecutors in Cremona, Bari and Naples. Now the inquiry is branching out to other sports.
The 36-year-old Bracciali is now a doubles specialist while the 33-year-old Starace is ranked 150th in singles.
Bracciali and Starace were already two of five Italians — along with Alessio Di Mauro, Giorgio Galimberti and Federico Luzzi — who were given suspensions between 2007-08 by the ATP tour ranging from six weeks to nine months for betting.
In other cases of match-fixing in tennis, Daniel Koellerer of Austria and David Savic of Serbia were banned for life in 2011 and 2012, respectively.
Earlier this year, Russian player Andrey Kumantsov was banned for life by the Tennis Integrity Unit, which was formed by the ATP and WTA tours, the International Tennis Federation and the Grand Slam Committee.
And in July of this year, one man was charged and five others arrested in an Australian police operation against an international tennis match-fixing syndicate.
Tuesday 30 September 2014
Totti becomes oldest scorer in European club history
AS Roma
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Europe
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Italia
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(Reuters) - Francesco Totti, who turned 38 on Saturday, became the oldest scorer in European club competition history when he found the net after 24 minutes of AS Roma's Champions League Group E match against Manchester City on Tuesday.
Totti, who is in his 23rd season with his only professional club, beat the record previously held by Ryan Giggs who scored when he was 37 years 289 days old for Manchester United against Benfica in September 2011.
The Italian equalised for Roma at the Etihad Stadium after Sergio Aguero had given the home side the lead.
Sunday 28 September 2014
Remarkable Destro goal upstages Totti, Juve win again
(Reuters) - AS Roma's Mattia Destro scored a remarkable goal from near the halfway line to complete a 2-0 Serie A home win over Verona and upstage talismanic team mate Francesco Totti on his 38th birthday on Saturday.
A goal kick from Roma's Morgan De Sanctis landed just inside the Verona half before Destro controlled the ball, saw Verona goalkeeper Pierliugi Gollini off his line and scored with a high, dipping shot from 45 metres.
Roma maintained their 100 percent record after five Serie A games as did Juventus who won 3-0 at Atalanta, helped by two Carlos Tevez goals and a penalty save from Gianluigi Buffon which meant that the champions have still to concede a goal this season.
Roma visit Juventus in their next game on Oct. 5.
Totti, in his 23rd season at his only professional club, twice came close to scoring, and substitute Alessandro Florenzi, who replaced the Roma captain just after the hour, broke the deadlock for the hosts at the Stadio Olimpico.
As usual, Totti, playing just behind the front two, was involved in nearly all Roma's attacking moves.
He thought he had given his side the lead when the ball broke to him in the penalty area with Gollini stranded, but Frederik Sorensen cleared the ball off the line and it hit the post on its way to safety.
Totti was close again with a side-footed volley from Maicon's pass early in the second half. This time, the 19-year-old Gollini turned the ball over.
Totti also had time to nutmeg an opponent before being taken off, as expected, just after the hour to a standing ovation.
Gervinho came on in the second half and his entrance gave fresh impetus to Roma, who until then had struggled to break down a well-marshalled Verona defence.
Florenzi broke through with 15 minutes left when he met a loose ball with a first time shot from 25 metres. Destro missed an easy chance after a mazy Gervinho run but atoned with his incredible strike shortly afterwards.
"Adem Ljajic and the captain (Totti) played really well. They tired out Verona and this allowed their team mates to settle the match at the end," Roma coach Rudi Garcia told reporters.
"Destro's goal showed great class, the instinct of a hitman, the work of a pure attacker.
Destro added: "I've been thinking of a goal like that for a long time, catching the goalkeeper out of his goal. I tried it today and it went well.
Argentine forward Tevez gave Juventus a 36th-minute lead when he poked home a loose ball from close range.
The game swung decisively in Juve's direction in 60 remarkable seconds just before the hour.
Atalanta were awarded a penalty after a clumsy challenge by Giorgio Chiellini but, after a stuttering run-up, German Denis saw his weak effort saved by Buffon. Juve went straight down the other end and Tevez scored with a low shot inside the post from the edge of the area.
Alvaro Morata wrapped up the win by heading his first goal for Juve since his move from Real Madrid.
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