Africa-Press – Lesotho. Italian football is facing another credibility crisis. Five individuals have been placed under house arrest following “Operation Penalty,” led by the Guardia di Finanza and Carabinieri in Reggio Calabria.
At the center of the storm stands Luigi Catanoso, a referee in the Primavera and Serie C divisions, accused of bribing colleagues with up to €10,000 to manipulate results and facilitate fixed bets on goal totals. Investigators launched the probe after detecting suspicious betting activity on a Primavera match between Benevento and Cesena, which saw an abnormal €41,000 wagered.
Prosecutor Giuseppe Borrelli revealed that the operation relied on a corruption network backed by two Tuscan businessmen who owned a betting shop in Sesto Fiorentino. Both men have already been arrested. While no players appear directly involved, reports from La Gazzetta dello Sport indicate that manipulated penalties and red cards were used to steer results.
Authorities suspect that Catanoso planned to expand his network into professional divisions—threatening to drag Italian football into yet another damaging match-fixing era.
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