FIGC President Gabriele Gravina is not the only person in the world of football affected by the ‘dossier’ scandal, as Juventus and Luis Suarez are also caught up in the chaos.
The scandal is that certain public figures were illegally investigated by Raffaele Guadagno, who worked at the Perugia prosecutor’s office, accessing hundreds of telephone interceptions and databases without due process.
While there was no formal investigation, some pieces of evidence were still taken and then leaked to the media to create a firestorm around cases that ultimately did not result in any charges, let alone convictions.
Among them, claim Tuttosport, was the Perugia prosecutor’s office investigation of the Suarez situation when he arrived in Perugia in September 2020 to take an Italian test that would allow him to receive an Italian passport.
It emerged that the Università degli Stranieri where he was taking the test was already under investigation for giving students a free pass, even if they did not meet the criteria.
Some telephone interceptions were taken from that investigation, then leaked illegally to the media, tying Juventus to a situation that they were not involved in.
Evidence never emerged suggesting Juve had in any way tried to influence the school into giving Suarez the certificate, nor was that the reason the school was being wiretapped.
Wiretaps are a tricky situation in the Italian justice system, as they are used very frequently and just as often leaked to the media – sometime entire recordings played on television – before anyone has even been charged.
There is no jury system in Italy, so they do not need to worry about creating unfair prejudice ahead of a trial – but it does inevitably prejudice the court of public opinion.