Antonio Conte set to face trial for fraud in connection with match-fixing case

Fresh trouble brewing for Antonio Conte as sporting fraud charge pops up again

Italy national team manager Antonio Conte has been asked by a court in Cremona to face trial over allegations of sporting fraud in connection with investigations of match-fixing, Ansa Sports reported on Tuesday.

The 45-year-old, along with 103 others have been asked by the prosecutor to face trial for their alleged involvement in manipulating matches, something which dates back to 2011.

The former Juventus manager has already served a four-month ban, reduced from an initial 10 months, during his time at Turin at the start of the 2012/13 season, after a sports tribunal appointed by the Italian Football federation (FIGC) found him guilty of failing to report two instances of match-fixing.

Conte has been accused of sporting fraud in an attempt to fix a match against AlbinoLeffe during the 2010/11 season, while he was in charge of Serie B side Siena. A similar charge in connection with a game against Novara in the same season has been dropped.

Conte was, however, let go of with regards to charges of criminal association while former Italy internationals Cristiano Doni and Beppe Signori, were not so lucky and charged with higher charges.

According to The Guardian, the prosecutor Roberto Di Martino accused Conte of breaking an agreement between Italian coaches’ association and FIGC which stipulates that coaches must safeguard the moral conduct of players. Udinese manager Stefano Colantuono has also been charged with sporting fraud allegations, while he was in charge of Atlanta over a match at Crotone in 2012.

A preliminary closed-door hearing will be conducted to decide whether to accept the case and press charges, but a date has not been announced yet.

Conte, who won three successive Scudetto titles with The Old Lady before taking up the reigns as Italy manager last year said he was “saddened” by the development but has insisted he intends to continue as coach of the national team.

He has found support within Italy after FICG president Carlo Tavecchio and Olympic committee president Giovanni Malago stated that there is no need for Conte to resign as Italy boss unless found guilty.

Tavecchio told: “In this country we have guarantees for everyone, including Conte”

The shame of match-fixing has troubled Italian football for a long time. Just last week, BBC Sport reported that prosecutors have alleged Catania president Antonino Pulvirenti of paying bribes in an attempt to save the club from relegation to Italy’s third tier.The 2006 Calciopoli scandal saw Juventus being stripped of their last two league titles as well as relegation to Serie B.