THE LIST OF SHAME

1. Stefano MAURI (Lazio),2. Michele COSSATO (ex Chievo now Verona), 3. Federico COSSATO (ex Chievo), 4. Stefano FERRARIO (Parma), 5. Cristian BERTANI (giocatore, ex Novara now Sampdoria), 6. Massimiliano BENASSI (Lecce), 7. Antonio ROSATI (ex Lecce now Napoli), 8. Omar MILANETTO (ex Genoa now Padova), 9. Vincenzo ITALIANO (Padova), 10. Mario CASSANO (Piacenza), 11. Simone BENTIVOGLIO (ex Chievo now Padova), 12. Nicola VENTOLA (Novara), 13. LUCIANO (Chievo),14. Marco ROSSI (ex Bari now Parma),15. Alessandro PARISI (ex Bari now Torino),16. Daniele PADELLI (ex Bari now Udinese), 17. Andrea MASIELLO (ex Bari now Atalanta), 18. Alberto FONTANA (Novara), 19. Rijat SHALA (ex Novara now Lugano), 20. Marco TURATI (ex Grosseto now Modena), 21. Cesare RICKLER (ex Chievo now Bologna), 22. Matteo GRITTI  (Bellinzona), 23. Riccardo FISSORE (ex Spezia now Pavia), 24. Vincenzo IACOPINO (Monza), 25. Gianluca NICCO (Pescara), 26. Luca FIUZZI (Monza), 27. Andrea ALBERTI (ex Monza now Prato), 28. Edoardo CATINALI  (ex Piacenza now L'Aquila), 29. Mirko STEFANI (Reggiana), 30. Davide SAVERINO (Reggiana) 31. Dario PASSONI (ex Albino Leffe now Folzano)
32. Mattia SERAFINI (ex Prato now Fano) 33. Francesco RUOPOLO (ex Atalanta now Padova) 34. Antonio NARCISO (Grosseto), 35. Salvatore MASTRONUNZIO (ex Siena e Spezia now Gubbio), 36. Achille COSER (Novara), 37. Roberto COLACONE (ex Cremonese now Monza), 38. Marco CELLINI (ex Varese now Modena), 39. Davide CAREMI (ex Frosinone now Andria).

A list of almost forty Italian football players. But this isn't a squad list of an Italian Giant team. This isn't a top scorer classification. Unfortunately this is "only" the LIST OF SHAME: almost forty football players that according to Italian investigators tried to fix a good numbers of Serie A and Serie B matches of the last season. All football players on the List are charged with fixing matches and illegal betting - this last one is the worst plague of world football if we think that the turnover resulting from illegal betting in the world worth more than 90 billion euro a year!! A gigantic amount built also on the "dirty Italian job" as the investigation by the public prosecutors of Cremona and Bari and the confessions of some "pentito" football players are bringing to the surface in the last days. Even though it's still not confirmed yet it seems to be Italian Mafia behind these fixed matches with connections to East Europe and Asia. In conclusion credibility of football is questionable. I don't know how many of the list's names are really guilty (we'll only know this when a judge will issue a judgment) but one thing is sure: genuine feelings of Italian supporters (and not only) were exploited once again. I'm sure that when supporter's passion is handled to achieve a disgraceful target like illegal betting, you commit a mortal sin. Mortal because in this way you kill the football and the illusion that every passionate nurtures to remain a child dreaming of a Goal... .

Tonight Serie A returns to play. Hopefully just on the field...