FIGC President Gabriele Gravina reveals he asked to be placed under investigation to ‘defend’ himself but insists he wants to know the ‘names of the masterminds’ behind a secret dossier scandal.
Gravina was formally put under investigation on Wednesday when he autonomously spoke to the Rome Prosecutor regarding an investigation conducted in Perugia.
Gravina was among the names that emerged from a secret and illegal activity allegedly carried out by 16 people who obtained private information about VIPs and Italian politicians through various platforms, including a database of the National Anti-Mafia Directorate.
The FIGC President denied that he’d been charged with embezzlement and self-laundering. On the contrary, he revealed that he asked authorities to formally investigate him so that he could be heard.
“There is bitterness at a personal level. When you have an institutional role, and they hit you personally, of course, you suffer,” Gravina said after a meeting with referee Chief Gianluca Rocchi in Rome, as quoted by La Gazzetta dello Sport.
“To target my credibility means to affect the whole system. Somebody has been trying to undermine stability lately, thinking of causing trouble, but those who know me know I have strong reactions.
“It is emerging that I am the victim of this secret dossier activity. I asked to be put under investigation, which may sound like a contradiction, but it was fundamental on my side. Not to defend myself against magistrates who never charged me, not even yesterday as there are no charges at the moment.
“I demanded to be put under investigation to defend myself against this activity related to secret dossier and documents. These are falsehoods perpetrated by someone who enjoys himself anonymously.
“I guess the source is always the same. I have presented official documents with certain dates. Everything has had answers and feedback. I asked for the truth. If there are responsibilities, I want to understand who has arranged this, and I want to know the names of the masterminds.”