Police named a number people from the game as being investigated over allegations of a Mafia-linked illegal betting and match-fixing scam impacting on Italian soccer’s top three divisions.
Among those named were referees Luca Palanca and Marco Gabriele. Between them, they took charge of close to 50 games last season in Serie A.
A statement from the Italian Referees Association said the cases were a ‘cautionary step’ and that ‘being under investigation is not the same as a conviction’.
A probe into allegations of match-fixing in Italian soccer’s top league, Serie A, has led to two referees being suspended.
