Former Referee Gianluca Paparesta: Calciopoli Is Still There

Apr 3, 2009 11:26:42 AM

The disgraced official has warned that the scandal that shook the foundations of Italian football in 2006 is far from being over…

Ex-referee Gianluca Paparesta was dismissed by the Italian Referees’ Association (AIA) in the wake of the 2006 Calciopoli affair, but he has now hit back and denounces that the Calcio world is still run by the same people who were involved in the scandal.

“It’s a system that can manipulate and distort reality,” he writes in his blog.

Paparesta, who was famously locked in his dressing room by former Juventus director Luciano Moggi in Reggio Calabria, alleges that this new cupola is aiming to perpetuate itself and its power by having privileged relationships with big clubs.

To give weight to his allegations Paparesta even posted a wiretapped phone conversation between Moggi and a ‘top federal director’ who L’Espresso magazine believes to be Antonello Valentini, who is still the right-hand of Italian Football Federation (FIGC) President Giancarlo Abete.

And L’Espresso published other phone conversations in his latest issue that just hit the shelves in Italy in which current referee designator Pierluigi Collina talked with Milan official Leonardo Meani and demanded to meet Rossoneri general manager Adriano Galliani, “but not at his house, I don’t want people to see us.”

At the time Collina was still acting as a referee, but AIA rules forbid officials from having meetings with clubs’ representatives.

Vince Masiello, Goal.com

Sign up with William Hill for a free bet up to £25
Sign up with bet365 for a free bet up to £200
Sign up to Paddy Power for £250 in free bets
Sign up today with Coral and get a £50 FREE bet - no strings attached!
Sign up today with BetVictor and get a £25 FREE BET!

play

open

Inside Goal.Com

Player Ratings: Paris Saint-Germain 3-1 Brest
Goal.com takes a closer look at the men involved in PSG's last home game of the season, with David Beckham taking all the focus as he wore the captain's armband
Player Ratings: Sampdoria 3-2 Juventus
Goal.com was on hand to cast a judgmental eye on proceedings as Sampdoria recorded a memorable victory over champions Juventus, despite the best efforts of Fabio Quagliarella
Player Ratings: Gladbach 3-4 Bayern Munich
Goal.com evaluates the performances of everyone involved in a game that was effectively decided by the brilliance of die Roten forward Franck Ribery
Player Ratings: Freiburg 1-2 Schalke
Goal rates the talent on show at the Konigsblauen claimed a nervy win at the Mage Solar Stadion to seal Champions League football for next season
Madrid see red after Copa carnage
Cristiano Ronaldo was dismissed as los Blancos lost their heads during a dramatic 2-1 final defeat by their city rivals in an epic final at the Santiago Bernabeu