Serie A will witness a drastic haul once the 2012-13 season begins with legendary players such as Alessandro Del Piero and Alessandro Nesta destined to leave the peninsula. There are a number of other players who made some major contributions throughout their career who will either retire or move outside Italy. Below is a list of the key players who defined the Italian top flight with their skills and presence for over a decade:

1) Del Piero: The former Juventus captain is a symbol of the club and his loyalty showed when he stuck with the Bianconeri despite the imposed relegation to Serie B around six years ago. Del Piero leaves Juve as the club’s all-time leading scorer as well as the player with most appearances in a Bianconeri shirt. The former World Cup winner has won every possible trophy with Juve and will be forever remembered as one of the pillars of the great 1990s side. Del Piero might head to England or the United States.

2) Nesta: The former Lazio and Milan defender has been among the best defenders in Italy and the world for over a decade. At his peak he was often tasked with nullifying the threat posed by the best attackers on the opposing team. Nesta is a World Cup winner, despite an unfortunate campaign on the personal level due to injury which sidelined him from the latter stages of the tournament, and he won the Champions League on two occasions.

Nesta won Serie A once with Lazio and added another two league titles with Milan. Nesta will go down as one of the best defenders not just over the last two decades but also in the history of the Italian game. Nesta will likely play one more season with the United States as a potential destination.

3) Filippo Inzaghi: The striker also known as Pippo was renowned for tormenting defenders with his clinical finishing. Inzaghi often frustrated fans and foes alike with his positioning as he either beat the offside trap to score or was halted by a referee’s whistle for being offside. Inzaghi holds a number of records such as being Milan’s leading scorer in international competitions and has the Serie A record of 10 hat-tricks as well as the Champions League record with 3 hat-tricks (tied with Barcelona star Lionel Messi and Englishman Michael Owen).

Inzaghi was part of Italy’s World Cup winning squad in 2006 and has won Serie A with both Juventus and Milan. He also scored the winning double in the Champions League final in 2007 against Liverpool. Inzaghi is expected to retire despite some rumors linking him with a move to the United States to join an MLS team.

4) Gennaro Gattuso: The tough tackling midfielder was a crucial component of Italy’s 2006 triumph in Germany. Gattuso’s fight spirit and determination have defined his game for over a decade and have helped both Milan and the Azzurri to achieve success. Gattuso won the Champions League twice and has a number of other titles. He said he is taking a year off before he decides whether he will make a comeback. It is unlikely that Gattuso would play again if he indeed skips this season.

There are a number of other elderly statesmen who are either departing from the peninsula or will be retiring. Milan’s Dutch midfielder Clarence Seedorf will be the fourth Rossoneri veteran to leave the club following a long and successful spell with the club. Despite his short stint with the Rossoneri, Mark van Bommel will also be another veteran player who will be leaving Milan. There is no doubt that Milan will be witnessing the biggest overhaul due to the exit of at least five veteran players who had a key role over the years.

With Del Piero leaving Juve as well, the Italian league will usher the near closure of the old guard’s exploits with perhaps only Roma’s legendary skipper Francesco Totti remaining from the peninsula’s golden generation which achieved glory on the domestic, European and world fronts.

Perhaps Totti summed up best when he admitted he was getting emotional following the Rossoneri supporters tearful goodbye to some of the club’s veterans as well as Juve’s split with Del Piero.

Napoli’s players lifted the Coppa Italia while Juventus players and fans were left to wonder what would have happened had coach Antonio Conte started Gianluigi Buffon, Simone Pepe and Mirko Vucinic.

The Bianconeri were aiming to finish the season without a defeat in official matches but they failed in the last hurdle. In doing so, Juve’s players were unable to give Alessandro Del Piero, who started his last game in Bianconeri colors, a parting gift prior to his departure to another league outside the peninsula.

Juve’s first defeat in the season and Del Piero’s exit from Turin should not overshadow Napoli’s great achievement. This is the first trophy for the Partenopei in over two decades and the players did it by implementing Napoli’s blue print for the season: strike and strike hard on the counter.

Overall Napoli deserved the cup not because they played better but because the Bianconeri were subdued and proved once again they are wasteful in front of goal. On the other hand, Napoli’s trident of Marek Hamsik, Edinson Cavani and Ezequiel Lavezzi proved to be decisive with the first two stars scoring the winning goals.

It is premature to consider Napoli as a legitimate threat to next year’s Serie A contenders because the club’s bench and defensive line desperately need reinforcements. This season the Partenopei struggled in Serie A because of the demands of the Champions League schedule which highlighted Napoli’s lack of depth.

For the Partenopei to compete next season, they must retain their star trio and add some quality on the bench and to their starting XI. There are two troubling rumors for the Partenopei faithful as growing reports indicate Lavezzi might be headed out the door while Cavani is wanted by a host of elite European clubs, including Juventus.

It will be hard for Napoli to resist the financial temptation in case a mega offer was presented by the likes of Manchester City or Real Madrid for the services of Cavani. Going back to the game, Napoli were diligent in defending and relied heavily on their counter-attacks while Juve, once again, displayed their superior yet toothless ball possession which yielded zero goals.

Napoli must be congratulated for sticking to what they do best and for lifting the trophy while coach Conte will be left to contemplate some important decisions prior to promising yet difficult season in 2012-13. The Bianconeri supporters will forever be thankful for the dedication, loyalty and efforts of Del Piero but his departure should make it easier on Juve to draft in some capable forwards who can find the back of the net.

Marco Borriello failed once again and despite scoring a crucial winner in the closing stages of the season, the former Milan striker does not fill well with Conte’s system. It is quite surprising how Conte preferred to start the ineffective Borriello and the mediocre Marcelo Estigarribia ahead of other players who could have been more decisive.

For Napoli this caps a wonderful ending to a season that looked promising at one stage before it unraveled following the European disappointment. For the Bianconeri, it marked the end of an era with Del Piero’s farewell and the first loss of the season.

Milan’s quest to repeat as champions of Serie A fell short due to a number of reasons, in particular the injuries which affected the squad and the demands of European football which drained the players.

The Rossoneri must address the following key concerns in order to be successful next season in Italy and Europe:

a) Ibrahimovic Factor: Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been in fine form since his move from Barcelona prior to the beginning of last season. The fact the Rossoneri appear to be too dependent on his scoring and performances is another testament to his talent. However, depending too much on the Swedish star’s scoring and skills means teams can counter Milan by focusing on the temperamental striker.

b) Ineffective Attackers: Robinho scored a disappointing total of 6 goals in 29 matches in Serie A. That is unacceptable when talking about a forward who plays for a team competing for the championship. Antonio Cassano managed 3 goals before he was sidelined following the heart procedure. Cassano still managed to provide his teammates with 9 assists in just 15 matches played in the Italian league. The Rossoneri must sign an attacker who can take off some of the pressure from Ibrahimovic.

c) Alexandre Pato: The Brazilian striker has played in only 11 league matches this season. In the last three years, Pato has played in just 59 out of a possible 114 league games. Please refer to this article on Pato written back in March 2012.

d) Squad Quality: Milan might have a big squad but many of the bench players are either past their best or they have been mediocre in recent years. The Rossoneri must focus on getting quality players as opposed to just signing or keeping players to maintain a bigger squad.

e) Defenders: The defensive line is in need of reinforcements, in particular younger and upcoming quality defenders. Some of the veterans must be replaced as Gianluca Zambrotta and Mario Yepes can no longer perform at a high level on a consistent basis. Even the once reliable Alessandra Nesta can no longer be counted upon to perform consistently in both Serie A and the Champions League. At 36, Nesta is nearing the end of his career and he has managed to feature in just 16 league matches this season.

f) Veterans: The Rossoneri can be considered as one of Italy’s and Europe’s most experienced teams yet with savvy veterans comes old age and a number of concerns such as fitness and injury doubts. Gennaro Gattuso barely played, featuring in just 5 league matches, while Clarence Seedorf and Massimo Ambrosini played in just 18 and 22 Serie A games respectively.

Milan must sign a proven scorer and add some quality defenders as well as some talented midfielders to replace the older players such as Mark Van Bommel, Filippo Inzaghi, Yepes and Zambrotta who are all well into their 30s. Without taking the necessary steps to support Ibrahimovic and adding younger, promising and skilled players, the Rossoneri will struggle to meet next season’s challenges in Italy and Europe.

Juventus will finish on top of the league table regardless of the result of Week 38. The Bianconeri defeated Cagliari 2-0 while Milan lost 2-4 to Inter to confirm Juve as this season’s champions. Below is a list of the most important factors behind Juve’s triumph:

a) Andrea Pirlo: The Italy midfielder has been perhaps Juve’s most influential player this season. Pirlo is not outspoken and is not flashy, preferring instead to let his feet do the talking for him. The midfielder has scored three goals and provided 13 assists in 35 league games. His influence extends way beyond those stats since the majority of Juve’s attacking moves go through him.

b) Antonio Conte: Coach Conte has now won Serie A both as a player and a manager with Juve. His fighting spirit and determination as a player were crucial to his status as a captain of the club and now he has transmitted this mentality to the players. Conte has also learned from some of his mistakes and he can only improve next season and on.

c) No Europe: Juve did not have to worry about European football since the club finished seventh last season. Milan, the main competition, had to deal with the demanding Champions League fixtures, including having to play Barcelona on four occasions.

d) No Injuries: The Bianconeri have been relatively injury-free with only minor setbacks to players such as Simone Pepe, Andrea Barzagli and most recently to Paolo De Ceglie. However, none of these injuries forced a particular player to miss more than a couple of games. On the other hand, rivals Milan faced a plethora of injuries with important players such as Alexandre Pato, Kevin-Prince Boateng and Gennaro Gattuso as well as Antonio Cassano’s lengthy absence following his heart procedure.

e) Defensive Line: Juve conceded only 19 goals in 37 matches which is quite an impressive record. The club’s defense has been solid throughout the season with the exception of a few mistakes committed by Leonardo Bonucci as well as Gianluigi Buffon’s blunder against Lecce last week.

f) Midfield: It would be unfair to signal out one players from the midfield without mentioning the others. As such, credit must go (in addition to Pirlo of course) to midfielders Arturo Vidal, Claudio Marchisio and Simone Pepe. Marchisio and Pepe managed to score 9 and 6 goals respectively in the league while Vidal has been relentless with his runs, defensive and attacking efforts. Vidal also contributed with 7 goals to Juve’s cause in Serie A. It must be said Juve’s pressing game requires a tremendous effort and endless running from the club’s midfielders.

g) Transfers: The signing of Vidal, Pirlo, Mirko Vucinic and Stephan Lichtsteiner during the summer was crucial to building this successful Juve side. In addition, the mid-season move for Martin Caceres was a useful one since the Uruguayan is capable of performing in a number of positions. It must also be said that Juve also shipped out a number of players who were either ineffective or perhaps even damaging to the locker room. The Bianconeri loaned out Felipe Melo and Vincenzo Iaquinta while also dispensing of one of the fans’ least favorite players in the shape of Amauri.

Juve’s transfer campaign as well as the club’s hiring of Conte, the form of Pirlo and several other key players such as Vidal have been the major catalysts behind the club’s return to the summit. It will be interesting to see how Juve will manage next season with the demanding fixtures in the Champions League.

It will be very hard to manage both European and domestic football and it is doubtful the club can repeat this historic achievement of going 37 matches without a defeat in the league. This is due to the need to rest and rotate players to avoid fatigue and injuries while remaining competitive on all fronts. One can bet on Juve’s management and coaching staff to make the right decisions just as they did during this past summer.

Italian fans lived through a dramatic Match Day which concluded with Juventus winning the league title after bitter rivals Inter clinched a precious derby win over Milan.

At one point, both Juve and the Rossoneri were ahead meaning the title would not be decided until the final week of fixtures. However, everything changed after Inter’s Diego Milito completed his hat-trick with two penalties before Brazilian full-back Maicon ensured a memorable win for the Nerazzurri with a stunning strike from outside the penalty area. Get your free football bets at FREEbets.

Milan’s campaign has been affected by injuries along with a congested schedule which took its toll on an already weary and depleted squad. The Rossoneri have also been over dependent on star player Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The Swedish striker was again among the scorers as he registered both of Milan’s goals to take his tally to an impressive 28 goals in just 31 league matches. Unfortunately for the Rossoneri supporters, Ibrahimovic’s double was not enough and his team fell short.

As for Juve, this could usher a new era led by none other than former Bianconeri captain Antonio Conte who has done a phenomenal job in his first season as the coach in Turin. Conte might not be as savvy or experienced as some of the other Serie A coaches, but he made up for it with his work ethic, enthusiasm and his ability to instill a winning mentality in the Old Lady’s squad.

Conte made sure all the younger players and the summer signings new the value of wearing the Bianconeri shirt. The former club captain also showed faith in a number of players despite some rough stretches they went through.

For instance, Leonardo Bonucci made some costly mistakes in a number of matches yet Conte has continued to start him and Bonucci’s form improved with time. A more significant case is that of forward Mirko Vucinic who went through a tough series of matches when he was below par and did not score leading to some disgruntled fans questioning his role. However, Conte kept the faith in Vucinic and the Montenegro striker repaid the coach with some commanding performances, crucial goals and important assists.

A long season has ended with the Old Lady re-establishing herself as a force in Italian football while Milan and Inter must regroup and rebuild for the future. If Napoli can keep their star trio of Edison Cavani, Marek Hamsik and Ezequiel Lavezzi while adding a few quality players then the Partenopei can be a threat next season.

Juventus eased past Roma in a 4-0 home triumph to take advantage of Milan’s earlier slip, the Rossoneri barely managed a 1-1 home draw against Bologna thanks to a late Zlatan Ibrahimovic equalizer.

The Bianconeri are now three points ahead of Milan. Juve remain undefeated in the league and are still on course to achieve a precious domestic double if they can maintain this high level of intensity.

The win over Roma witnessed a quick double by Arturo Vidal who found the back of the net twice inside the first eight minutes of the match. Vidal has been one of Juve’s best performers this season yet the credit for this big win must be shared between the Chilean midfielder and forward Mirko Vucinic who had a hand in all of the four goals.

Vucinic assisted on the second and fourth goals while his pass led to the penalty won by Claudio Marchisio. Vucinic also passed to Paolo De Ceglie who crossed for Vidal’s first goal.

Juve’s remaining schedule appears to be easy on paper yet the Bianconeri have struggled at times when attempting to break the defensive walls setup by smaller sides. As for the Rossoneri, their schedule is not difficult either but it does have one tricky match against bitter city rivals Inter.

What must Juve do in order to retain their lead and win the league title?

1) Intensity: Juve’s players have been playing with such high intensity. This has left opposition players incapable of keeping pace with the Bianconeri attacks. If Juve keep playing at this intensity, then the smaller sides will have little if any chance to match the Bianconeri. Smaller teams have attempted to fight and work very hard in order to restrict Juve but the work ethic of the Bianconeri players has been phenomenal in recent weeks.

2) Vidal: Even prior to his double against Roma, the midfielder has been having a great first season in Turin and if Juve do win the title, the Chilean will be one of the decisive factors in this quest. Andrea Pirlo dictates the pace of the match and offers his teammates with scoring opportunities, but without Vidal his job would be much harder. Vidal covers so much space and often retrieves the ball to allow Pirlo the freedom to roam and cause havoc with his pinpoint passing.

3) Pirlo: The former Milan star has to be the season’s best pick up and when considering he came via a free transfer and deprived the Rossoneri of another creative force, it is easy to see why he is considered by many as one of the main reasons behind Juve’s return to the top of the table.

4) Defense: Juve’s defensive line has been immense this season with the club conceding only 18 times in 33 matches. There is no doubt Gianluigi Buffon is a great goalkeeper but his defenders have made his job much easier. Giorgio Chiellini remains an aggressive leader of the back-line while Andrea Barzagli must rank as one of the most shrewd transfer moves in Italy over the last two seasons.

Juve’s defensive prowess has been enhanced by the rejuvenated Leonardo Bonucci who is peaking at the right time. The addition of Martin Caceres during the January transfer window was a smart move while summer signing Stephan Lichtsteiner has solved Juve’s problems in recent seasons at the full-back position.

Having the right players alone will not lead to an impressive run of 33 undefeated league games. Coach Antonio Conte has done a tremendous job by instilling the Juve spirit and the grit which characterized his playing career into his squad.

The current Bianconeri appreciate the meaning of putting on the club’s shirt and have played as a unified team setting aside personal agendas in order to achieve the team’s ultimate objective which is to return to the top of Italian football. The next five matches will determine whether the players have enough passion and determination to overcome adversity and win Serie A.

Adidas has released a video trailer to promote the upcoming launch of AC Milan’s new home shirt for the 2012-13 season. Check it out above.

For the latest AC Milan shirts, kits and merchandise, visit World Soccer Shop.

The weekend in Italy and perhaps world football has been overshadowed by the tragic news of Piermario Morosini’s death during a Serie B match between Livorno and Pescara. The Livorno midfielder suffered a heart attack while playing against Pescara.

This tragic incident should serve as a reminder to everyone, whether players, football fans or people in general, that life is fragile and they must appreciate what they have while trying to make the best out of it.

Moving back to the Serie A race between Juventus and Milan, it must be said that the title is still up for grabs and either club could end up winning the Italian league. Juve’s toughest match will be at home this weekend when they host Roma while Milan’s trickiest encounter will come against city rivals Inter.

The Nerazzurri have struggled and been plagued by inconsistency throughout the season, but surely Inter’s players would not want the Rossoneri half of the city celebrating a league triumph knowing they have an opportunity to put a dent into Milan’s title hopes. Inter’s season has been a great disappointment so halting Milan’s progress might be the only bright spot for the Nerazzurri this season with the two rivals set to meet in the 37th round of the league. This could be a decisive fixture in terms of where the league title ends up.

Below are some of the key elements which appear to be in favor of a Juve title win:

1) Freshness: Juve seem to be the fresher of the two clubs with Milan struggling due to various injuries. Alexandre Pato has barely featured this season with injuries continuing to plague his career while veterans such as Gennaro Gattuso and Alessandro Nesta have had to deal with various injuries.

2) Lack of Injuries: While Milan have had to cope with injuries to Gattuso, Pato, Kevin-Prince Boateng and others, the Bianconeri have been relatively injury-free with minor problems sidelining Simone Pepe, Giorgio Chiellini, Andrea Barzagli and Claudio Marchisio for a few games. On the other hand, the Rossoneri were also dealt a major blow when the influential Antonio Cassano was sidelined following a heart procedure. Cassano is gradually returning back to match fitness but he clearly has missed a crucial chunk of the season.

3) Coach Antonio Conte: Antonio is supposed to be the less experienced between the two coaches of Juve and Milan, yet his experience playing with the Bianconeri, his work ethic and dedication have infected his players. Juve’s players have displayed the grit and determination which once defined Conte’s playing style when he was the club’s captain. On the other hand, Rossoneri boss Massimiliano Allegri has used the excuse of the infamous “ghost goal” against Juve on a number of occasions which highlights both uncertainty and a lack of confidence in the club’s ability to finish the season strong. Allegri has seen a promising season unravel following the tough exits in Coppa Italia and the Champions League. Confidence in the Rossoneri camp might be low with the players giving a nervous display in their last fixture.

4) Undefeated: The Bianconeri remain undefeated with just 6 rounds left and this is the ultimate testament to the players and their ability to manage difficulties during matches. Juve is the only club still undefeated in Europe’s top 5 leagues (Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester United, Manchester City, B. Dortmund, Bayern Munich and Milan have all lost at least one league match).

On the other side, there are some factors which could play in Milan’s favor to hand them the league title:

1) Schedule: After hosting Roma, the Bianconeri seem to have a fairly easy schedule but Juve’s players have struggled all season to score against the weaker sides and have dropped precious points against those teams. Juve still have to face Lecce and Cagliari, both clubs are at risk of relegation so those will be tricky matches. Milan do face relegation contenders but the Rossoneri have done better than Juve against the weaker sides.

2) Ibrahimovic Factor: Zlatan Ibrahimovic has already managed to score 23 goals and assisted on another 9 goals in just 26 matches. The Swedish star has often carried the Rossoneri whenever they needed goals the most. Ibrahimovic might have a reputation of failing to score in the big matches, but there is no doubt he has been a winner where ever he played. He has won league titles with Juve, Inter and Milan as well as Barcelona.

3) Experience: While Juve appear to be the fresher and fitter of the two sides, the Rossoneri have the edge when it comes to experience with players such as Ibrahimovic, Nesta, Clarence Seedorf, Mark van Bommel and Gianluca Zambrotta providing plenty of it. Milan won the title last season so the players are aware of what needs to be done in order to triumph in the league.

4) Talent: This has been mentioned on a number of occasions by pundits and followers of the beautiful game alike, but it must be mentioned again: the Rossoneri have superior individuals when compared to the Juve which is a more harmonious unit. Robinho, Ibrahimovic, Seedorf and Boateng all have the talent and set of skills to turn the result of a match in Milan’s favor.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family, teammates and friends of Piermario Morosini, the Livorno midfielder who tragically died today after suffering a heart attack on the field in a Serie B game against Pescara.

As can be seen from the video footage below, Morosini collapsed on the field while playing for Livorno. The on-loan midfielder from Udinese unsuccessfully tried to get up after receiving medical treatment. Morosini was then taken on a stretcher and placed in an ambulance. Sadly, the 25-year-old died on the way to the hospital.

As a result of the tragic death, all games in Italian soccer (including Serie A) were suspended this weekend.

Morosini’s death comes less than a month after Fabrice Muamba collapsed on the pitch for Bolton in the Premier League. Similarly to Muamba, a defibrillator was used to try to resuscitate Morosini.

Serie A could be in danger of exploding in scandal once again, and this time the damage could be even more lasting.

To recap, earlier this week Atalanta defender Andrea Masiello was arrested on charges of match-fixing while playing for A.S. Bari in 2011.  While Masiello was the only once arrested, police are also investigating eight other players in connection with this scandal and have focused their attention on five different matches from last season.  Of particular note to the authorities was Bari’s 2-0 loss to Lecce where Masiello had scored an own goal in the 80th minute that was rather dubious at the time.  The year had been one of discord for Bari and they essentially had been doomed to relegation by the middle of the season, but Lecce was in a fight to stay up in Serie A so the 2-0 win was a huge boost to their fortunes.  The investigators have recently expanded their look into other teams as well, including a Siena-Chievo match this season.

It is rather naive to be shocked by this incident, as anyone who follows Italian soccer knows the game has a documented history of suspect deals where relegation-doomed clubs help out their neighbors in the standings.  In fact, Joe McGinniss wrote about just that in his popular book The Miracle of Castel di Sangro, where the team he follows begins to behave suspiciously at the end of the season as soon as they are safe from relegation.  It is also very naive to assume Italian soccer has always been totally above board; after all, it has only been six years since “Calciopoli” rocked Serie A and demoted the champions to Serie B. But this scandal is very different from rigging referees, and the reason why could seriously damage Italian football for the next decade or so.

But first, I want to detour for a train of thought about the team itself.  Long-time readers know that I have an affinity for Bari due to my ethnic heritage and just recently I was given my first Bari jersey as a birthday present.  I followed the team through a miserable season last year and despite U.S. TV never showing a second of Serie B footage, I have done my utmost to track this lovable band through their up-and-down season in the second division.  Even though I knew Italian soccer had a dark side, and it could strike anywhere, this scandal was depressing to me.  It was bad enough that ownership didn’t give a care about fielding a competitive last season and ran the club cut-rate, but this scandal pushed me over the edge.  No one in the club cared for the fans, their reputation, their city, their heritage.  While I will always chant “con il mare negli occhi e il sol nel cuore, Bari ti giuriamo eterno amore”, it will always now be with a lump in my throat.

What will be the immediate results of this scandal?  Recent history is a guide.  The “Calcioscommeese” scandal of last season in Serie B saw Italian international Cristiano Doni suspended for three and a half years, with numerous others also suspended.  Atalanta was also docked six points at the beginning of this season, their first in Serie A, but have survived thus far to settle mid-table.  The assumption currently is that this recent confession is a continuation of that scandal.  The Doni incidents, however, took place in Serie B while the Masiello incident took place in Serie A.  Depending on what matches were arranged, this could have had a huge impact on European spots and relegation, no small matter with the new Lega Calcio contract making playing in the Italian top-flight more lucrative.  Depending on the outcome, expect Bari to be dropped a division and Lecce to also be sent to Serie B (although they are currently sitting in the Serie A relegation zone), as well as points docked and divisions dropped for other teams involved (including, it is rumored, Lazio).

There is, however, a more sinister element to this scandal and it is the possible influence of outside forces.  Blame for the scandal and payments to Masiello are being placed on the Bari ultras, the local mafia, and even a Balkan gambling ring known as “The Gypsies”.  It is one thing for the clubs to be conspiring among themselves to fix matches, but if there are outside forces that are influencing the outcome of Serie A results, this is a very serious matter.  I suspect if it is found that gamblers have been influencing critical games, then UEFA will have to step in and try and police the Italian league.  What will this mean for Champions League and Europa League spots?  Who knows.  But if the worst is realized and multiple games have been thrown due to gamblers, Serie A will be crippled like never before.  Fans will have no faith in results, which inside Italy may not be a big deal but is a major deal for attracting non-Italian viewers to Serie A.  UEFA will have to treat Italian teams with suspicion and could hurt their qualifications for lucrative tournaments.  And the Serie A brand, which is slowly recovering from Calciopoli, would be set back for years.

For the sake of all Italian soccer fans, let’s hope this was a few knucklehead players trying to make a little extra dough and nothing more organized.  Because the result could be catastrophic.