Rai 3 aired a special investigation into the 2006 Calciopoli scandal this evening, including new interviews suggesting Juventus were by no means the only ones in contact over referees and that Inter were saved by a leak to the media.
The last few days have already seen some of the statements in the papers, along with disgraced former Juve director Luciano Moggi – considered the head of the system brought down by Calciopoli – handing a USB key with 170,000 intercepted phone calls to various newspapers.
Television programme ‘Report’ aired its episode this evening on Rai 3 and there were new interviews, including with Paolo Bergamo, who was the refereeing designator from 1999 to 2005.
“(Then Inter President Massimo) Moratti called me to go to dinner with him in July 2002. I went to his house, we sat down along with our wives and not even five minutes later he says: You have to tell me why the referees hate Inter. He believed we were sending referees that were hostile to Inter, to make them lose.”
According to Report, Inter signed a secret agreement to compensate those who were involved in illegal wiretaps and investigations, including the refereeing designator Bergamo.
This may well have been part of the same controversy that saw former players like Christian Vieri sue Inter, claiming private investigators had been trailing them and listening in on calls to check they were not partying too excessively.
Another interesting new revelation came from Giandomenico Lepore, who was the general prosecutor of Naples from 2004 to 2011 and therefore involved in gathering wiretaps.
“We started with Juventus because there were more elements there and then were meant to look into the other clubs. And almost all the other clubs were involved, let’s be honest,” said Lepore.
“One day, a supplement in Espresso magazine reported all the wiretaps. Suddenly, all those phones were shut down and all we were left with was Juventus. We have our suspicions about who leaked the evidence, but never any real proof, so we just don’t know.
“If we had been able to continue the investigation, Inter were next in line after Juve.”
There have for many years been claims that Inter legend Giacinto Facchetti had similar phone calls with the refereeing designator to Moggi, but that those were not taken into consideration.
Among them, a call ahead of the Coppa Italia semi-final, which was assigned to Paolo Bertini.
“Only four wins with him? Then let’s boost that score to five wins,” laughed Bergamo. “He is an intelligent lad, he knows how to get ahead.”
Bertini was involved in the Calciopoli trial and cleared of any wrongdoing in July 2006.
He was initially penalised with suspension in the civil trials for sporting fraud in 2008 and 2011, but in both cases eventually cleared on appeal.
Gianluca Paparesta was involved in the Calciopoli scandal when it emerged Moggi had confronted him in the locker room and claimed to have locked him in a cupboard.
“There were plenty of other times when directors came into the locker room to complain. I didn’t stay there underlining each incident like a lecturer,” said Paparesta on Report.
Juventus were stripped of two Serie A titles and demoted to Serie B, with the 2005-06 Scudetto handed to Inter.