The judges in the Calciopoli civil trial ruled Luciano Moggi and others worked to damage the impartiality of referees.
The ruling finding former Juventus director general Moggi guilty was released on December 17 in Naples, but the reasoning behind the decision was only published today.
The judges in the Calciopoli civil trial ruled Luciano Moggi and others worked to damage the impartiality of referees.
The ruling finding former Juventus director general Moggi guilty was released on December 17 in Naples, but the reasoning behind the decision was only published today.
Over 203 pages, the judges noted there was “multiple and articulate evidence” pointing to a crime having been committed.
Moggi was only part of the criminal enterprise along with former Juve director Antonio Giraudo, refereeing designator Paolo Bergamo and others.
It was suggested “the light-hearted and apparently convivial tone used to reach agreements on who would officiate the individual games seems extremely serious in the light of the evident damage to impartiality that is essential for a referee, as a referee must in principle maintain equidistance between the opponents.”
It was written the tone of the conversations in the wiretapped phone calls were only apparently convivial, but in fact suggested “the hardness of the rapport between participants and the evident objective to take and maintain control.”
There was an entire chapter in the 203-page document on Moggi’s role within the affair, noting he had a “pre-eminent” position and was “unusually unscrupulous” in linking together various sections of the football world.
“Moggi’s position appears certain and beyond doubt. He created the situation where he could have a truly abnormal influence in the Federation.”
He was accused of even influencing television programmes to have a harsher or kinder view of certain refereeing performances, while Moggi and Giraudo entering the locker rooms of referees and assistants caused particular shock.
Moggi’s behaviour was “at the very least aggressive” in dealing with referee Gianluca Paparesta after a Reggina-Juventus match on November 7 2004, when he locked the official in his room.
Moggi has always maintained he was innocent, claiming various club representatives regularly phoned up the Federation and refereeing designator to complain about certain officials, but that only the Juventus wiretaps were put forward to investigators.