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| quote: | The judge presiding over the Italian match-fixing scandal today adjourned the trial until Monday.
Chief judge Cesare Ruperto opened the tribunal at Rome's Olympic Stadium by reading out the names of the accused to check if they were present. Ex-Juventus general manager Luciano Moggi did not show up, while Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani - the highest-ranking Milan official involved - sat in the front row of the improvised courtroom.
The session was taken up by procedural matters and Ruperto adjourned proceedings after lawyers asked for more time to study documents relating to the case. "We must go straight to our objective, which is justice," said Ruperto, warning that there would be no further delays. "We've received a request for postponement from five third parties involved - Bologna, Messina, Lecce, Treviso and Brescia. We believe that request for a postponement should be accepted."
Twenty-six officials - including referees and senior figures at some of Italy's top clubs - are accused of creating a system of corruption that ranged from influencing refereeing assignments to getting players booked. The trial could end in Juventus, Milan, Lazio and Fiorentina being relegated.
Italy's goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, who plays for Juventus, says the charges will not harm the national side's chances. "[The scandal] has not left any mark on us. There is nothing official, no sentence, and every one of us is thinking exclusively about the World Cup," he said. Thirteen of Italy's 23-man World Cup squad play for the four clubs charged.
All the officials on trial have denied any wrongdoing. |
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