FIGC President Gabriele Gravina laments the ‘culture of suspicion’ that permeates through Italian football after Juventus found that two so-called ‘secret’ documents did not help their case.
The Bianconeri engaged in a legal battle to get the release of two different emails exchanged between the Federation and the Covisoc – effectively a consumer rights protection agency who evaluate the financial fitness of every Italian club.
Without the all-clear from the Covisoc, clubs cannot register for the new season in Serie A, B or C.
Juve had hoped there would be signs in those emails that the investigation into their capital gains had started far earlier than officially stated, but their name was never mentioned in either of the messages.
“In our country there is this wide-spread culture of suspicion,” complained FIGC President Gravina while attending an event.
“It is a strategy, their way of working that is part of our country and I am still stunned that this culture is being pursued. I understand the different strategies, but the way the FIGC works is very clear, I said so from the start and these emails confirm that.
“There is nothing strange here. I asked the Covisoc to clarify the methods of evaluation and that is what they did, that is all.”
Juventus have already lodged their appeal against the 15-point penalty and numerous bans of their former directors for artificially inflating transfer fees to then boost capital gains, therefore balancing the books.