A betting scandal has once again reared its ugly head in Serie A and Italian football as a whole. Seemingly involved at very heart of it is a Serie D referee, Pietro Marinoni. Currently he has been suspended by the AIA as he is deemed to be one of the suspects in the betting scandal by the Prosecutorโs Office in Milan.
The story ties in with Sandro Tonali, who was banned for a long time last year for betting related offences. As per the midfielderโs testimony to the prosecutors in Turin, it was Marinoni who introduced him to the betting world. The referee happened to be a classmate of Tonaliโs sister, which is how he met the footballer and convinced him to bet using illegal sites, while he was still playing for Brescia. Tonali alleged that Marinoni would act as the collector of the money to be paid to Tommaso De Giacomo, one of the organizers of the betting syndicate.
The referee could be disqualified for three years unless a plea bargain is reached. If the conduct is deemed as extreme sporting misconduct, then the punishment could be more severe as reported by Gazzetta.it. Being a member of the FIGC, any involvement in betting related to football will see Marinoni fall foul of Article 24, Paragraph 1, of the Sports Justice Code, which prohibits members from betting on matches organised by FIGC, FIFA and UEFA.
Kaulik Mitra | GIFN
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