The syndicate reportedly works in convincing lower-ranked players from South America and Europe to fix matches, while the group’s members then place bets with bookies accordingly.

Two individuals of Indian ethnicity but residing in Melbourne, allegedly a part of the Australian branch of an international tennis match-fixing syndicate, have been charged by the Victoria Police for influencing at least two lower-level tournaments in Brazil and Egypt during the 2018 season, as reported by The Sydney Morning Herald. The head of the syndicate, revealed as Indian-resident Ravinder Dandiwal by police documents, however has not been charged as yet.

The syndicate reportedly works in convincing lower-ranked players from South America and Europe to fix matches, while the group’s members then place bets with bookies accordingly.

Dandiwal, according to his social media description reported in the SMH, is said to be the owner of India-based sports management company Ultimate Sports Management, and has promoted cricket tours in the past – such as the Willowfest Australian Cricket Championship in 2017 and the Asian Premier League T20, held in Nepal a year later. He has also been described as the ‘General Secretary of the Cricket Council of India’ and ‘Chairman of the Cricket Premier League.’

The case comes just a few days after Tunisian player Majed Kailani was found guilty by the Tennis Integrity Unit (TIU) of fixing matches played in 2016.

Match fixing, like in other sports, has been plaguing tennis especially since there are official tournaments taking place at the same time all over the world, making it difficult for authorities to police all the events.

Who are the two individuals arrested and what are the charges?

Harsimrat Singh, 22, (a relative of Dandiwal) and Rajesh Kumar, 32, have received nine and 16 charges respectively. Both are residents of Point Cook, a suburb in Melbourne. They have been charged with using information regarding a fixed match to place a total of 22 bets.

According to the charges reported by the SMH, the duo were given information about “one or more of the players… and had arranged with Ravinder Dandiwal to manipulate the result of the match” or of players who had been “recruited (by Dandiwal) to engage in corrupt conduct.”

With the information, the pair placed 22 bets ranging from AUD 8.70 to AUD 25,000 on lower-level tennis matches, with an estimate of AUD 320,000 (around 1.66 crore INR according to today’s exchange rate) expected in winnings. It is also alleged that a part of the winnings are then shared with the players involved.

The pair had been arrested in 2018 and charges have been filed now awaiting a court hearing scheduled for September.

At what level of tennis does match fixing take place the most?

The problem is rife at the lower levels, mainly in the Futures events. Countries like Egypt and Brazil conduct numerous events at the lower level – which is perhaps why the syndicate had aimed to fix matches at these venues. The South American nation also hosts at least one Challenger event, along with the ATP 500 event at Rio de Janeiro, but the higher the level of a tournament, the less likely it is to be involved in match fixing owing to obvious scrutiny.

Why is match fixing prominent at the lower levels?

The players that normally compete at these events are ranked quite low and cannot get an entry to the better prize money events. These players tend to be unknown on the circuit, and since the prize money at this level is not lucrative, they are easy prey. The investigation by the Victoria Police also found that all the players targeted by Kumar and Singh’s group were ranked lower than 200.

What is the pay gap between tournament tiers?

The winner of the M25 event (the highest for a Futures event) in Nussloch, Germany is USD 3600. The amount is doubled to USD 7200 for the winner of the USD 50,000 Bangkok Challenger (a step up from Futures). In both these cases, the winner of the event has to win five matches in knockout format. Meanwhile, the first round loser at the main draw of the Australian Open received AUD 90,000, which is just under USD 62,000. All these events took place in the same week, commencing January 20, 2020.

The disparity in prize money at different levels has been a keen point of discussion after the tour was suspended because of the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving lower ranked players in particular without an income.

Has there been a case of a high profile player being involved in match fixing?

In January this year, former world no 69 Joao Souza of Brazil was banned for life by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) after an investigation revealed that he had been involved in match-fixing at Challenger and Future events in Brazil, Czech Republic, Mexico and the United States. Souza was also charged with failure to report approaches to fix matches, and also failing to cooperate with the investigation.

Do tennis governing bodies coordinate with betting firms to keep track of illegal activities?

Yes. The most prominent case was in 2007, when then world no 4 Nikolay Davydenko pulled out during his match against unfancied Argentine Martin Vassallo Arguello, who was ranked 87 at the time. During their second round match at an ATP event in Poland, betting company Betfair noticed bets being placed on the match to the tune of, according to a BBC report, UK Pound 3.4 million, which was about 10 times the usual money put on second round matches. Crucially, the bet was on Arguello winning the match, despite Davydenko claiming the first set.

Betfair considered void all the bets because of the alarming irregularity, and duly notified the ATP about the unusual pattern. The ATP began its investigation, but after a year cleared Davydenko and Arguello of any wrongdoing.

Has the ATP put up measures to quell unfair betting?

Yes. Though most ATP events are broadcast, there is a lag that can go up to a minute between the live action and pictures coming up on the television screen. During the lag, people in the audience can message punters, who can alter bets immediately before a particular point is televised.

Accordingly, the TIU sends a security team to monitor the crowd at stadia during ATP Tour matches. The team keeps an eye out for suspicious activity – for example, a fan using the phone or laptop frequently during a match. In such cases, security officials investigate the situation, and it may result in the fan being banned from attending tennis events in the future.

Have the governing bodies been proactive in their investigations?

Not entirely. In 2016, the BBC and BuzzFeed News conducted an investigation and revealed that “16 players who have ranked in the top 50 have been repeatedly flagged to the Tennis Integrity Unit (TIU) over suspicions they have thrown matches.”

The report claimed that some of the players were former Grand Slam winners. Another report from 2008 alleged that 28 players had been involved in illegal activities.

None of the findings however, were followed up on by authorities as the ATP was reluctant to dig into cases going back 10 years, according to BBC.

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• Lonnie Walker IV of the San Antonio Spurs cut off his famous “pineapple” hair during the quarantine.
• The second-year shooting guard revealed that he had grown his hair out since the fifth grade as a “cloaking device” to cope with the sexual abuse he endured as a kid.
• “Me cutting my hair was more than a cut,” Walker wrote on Instagram. “My hair was a mask of me hiding the insecurities that I felt the world wasn’t ready for. But now better then ever. Out with old. In with the new.”

Lonnie Walker IV chopped off his famous, sky-high locks.

The second-year San Antonio Spurs shooting guard posted a video to his Instagram of a barber buzzing off his “pineapple” hairstyle, which Walker had been growing out since he was in fifth grade. The 21-year-old also debuted his new, close-shaved look, but it was his explanation of the motivation behind his fresh cut that shocked the NBA world.

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In a lengthy caption posted alongside the haircutting video, Walker revealed that he had been sexually harassed, raped, and abused as a child and that he had long been using his signature hairdo as a “cloaking device.”

“I was a gullible curious kid that didn’t know what the real world was,” Walker wrote. “I had a mindset that my hair was something that I can control. My hair was what I can make and create and be mine. And it gave my confidence.”

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Walker further explained that he had been struggling with “history popping up” in recent months but managed to use quarantine as an opportunity to reset and better himself mentally and emotionally.

“Because of this virus, I began to truly look at myself in the mirror and see who I truly was even behind closed doors,” Walker wrote. “Long story short I have found peace and internal happiness through this journey.”

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The budding star said he’s learned to forgive people — even those who don’t deserve it — because carrying around negative energy is “dead weight.”

“Me cutting my hair was more than a cut,” Walker wrote. “My hair was a mask of me hiding the insecurities that I felt the world wasn’t ready for. But now better then ever. Out with old. In with the new.”

“I have shed my skin mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually,” he added. “Life will always be hard. Gotta play with the cards your [sic] dealt with and try and make a winning hand.”Advertisement

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Check out the full video of Walker’s haircut below:

The real truth as to why i started doing this early 5th grade, it was a cloaking device for me. During the summer of my 5th grade year I was around more family. Some that names will be left alone I was around more. I was sexually harassed, raped, abused, I even got accustomed to it because being at that age you don’t know what is what. I was a gullible curious kid that didn’t know what the real world was. I had a mindset that my hair was something that I can control. My hair was what I can make and create and be mine. And it gave my confidence. As of recently I wasn’t at my best. Previous History popping up in my head and it sucked mentally “demons”….. because of this virus, I began to truly look at myself in the mirror and see who I truly was even behind closed doors. Long story short I have found peace and internal happiness through this journey god willingly. I forgave everyone even the people that don’t deserve it why? Because it’s dead weight. Time doesn’t wait on anyone so why should I waste my time on it ? Me cutting my hair was more than a cut. My hair was a mask of me hiding the insecurity’s that I felt the world wasn’t ready for. But now better then ever. Out with old. In with the new. I have shed my skin mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. Life will always be hard. Gotta play with the cards your dealt with and try and make a winning hand. And if you lose. It’s never a lost. It’s a lesson . I’m gonna be off this for awhile still growing through this. Just know I love each and everyone one of y’all. Peace love and happiness

A post shared by Lonnie Walker IV (@buddah) on Jun 11, 2020 at 5:52pm PDTJun 11, 2020 at 5:52pm PDT

Last week, Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho addressed a mild spat with Chelsea counterpart Antonio Conte regarding over-zealous celebrations by issuing an acknowledgement of sorts.

“The only thing I want to say to end the story is that yes, I made mistakes in the past on the touchline,” the Portuguese said. “Yes, I will make less, but I think I will still make a few.”

However, Mourinho then added: “But what never happened to me and will never happen is to be suspended for match-fixing.”

Related

That last line sparked a furious response from Conte, who labelled Mourinho “a little man” for bringing match-fixing into the argument. 

But what is the story behind Mourinho’s reference? Goal is here to explain all…

---

WAS CONTE EVER ACCUSED OF MATCH-FIXING?

---

Conte was never actually accused of match-fixing but it was claimed that he had been aware of two attempts to do so and had failed to alert the relevant authorities.

The charges related to the former Italy international’s time in charge of Siena between May 2010 and May 2011, just before he took charge of Juventus.

During the Cremona-based investigation (Operation: Last Bet) into the Calcio Scommesse betting scandal of 2011, former Siena player Filippo Carobbio claimed that plans were made to fix a game against Novara in April 2011 because Siena president Massimo Mezzaroma had placed a significant sum of money on a draw. The game finished 2-2. 

Carobbio claims Conte was fully aware of the plot.

“There was an agreement for the draw and, in fact, we speak about it during our technical meeting,” he stated in 2012. “We were all aware of the agreed outcome, above all so that we could act accordingly during the game. The coach himself, Antonio Conte, told us that we could rest easy as we had reached an agreement with Novara.”

However, Carobbio also alleged that Conte knew of a second attempt to arrange a result, against AlbinoLeffe towards the tail end of the same season. 

According to Carobbio, in January 2011, Siena assistant coach Cristian Stellini instructed him and team-mate Claudio Terzi to get in contact with players from AlbinoLeffe to “make arrangements for the return game, so that the points would go to the side with the greater need.” At the time, Siena had already secured promotion to Serie A, while their opponents were battling relegation.

AlbinoLeffe prevailed 1-0, although Carobbio claimed that not everybody at Siena wanted to roll over.

“Some wanted to win, hoping to finish first and get the maximum bonus [for doing so],” he said. “However, in the end, we all agreed, the team and the coach, to give the win to AlbinoLeffe.”

---

HOW DID CONTE REACT TO THE CHARGES?

---

Conte was cleared of any wrongdoing in relation to the Novara fixture. However, it was ruled that he had been aware of the attempt to arrange the outcome of the game against AlbinoLeffe and subsequently failed to report the plot to the authorities.

The former midfielder maintained throughout that he knew of no such illegal activity. However, on the advice of his lawyer, he did agree to a plea-bargain put forward by the prosecutor, Stefano Palazzi, that would have seen him accept a three-month touchline ban but without having to issue any kind of admission of guilt.

This proposal was rejected by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), much to Conte’s shock.

“I agree with the judges on one thing: 90 days wasn’t a suitable punishment – the right one is zero,” he argued. “Even if today I had the certainty of a three-month ban, my answer would have been ‘no’. I didn’t do anything illegal and I didn’t fail to report anything.”

Consequently, Conte thus rejected the prosecutor’s offer to try to negotiate a second plea-bargain that the FIGC’s Disciplinary Committee would accept. Moreover, he claimed that he had been coerced into accepting the original deal with Palazzi. 

“I consider a plea-bargain blackmail,” he fumed. “I’m an innocent person yet I’m told by my lawyer to plea-bargain. It’s embarrassing. They have ruined my credibility in the changing room. Those people who know me know what type of person Antonio Conte is…

“Now I’m afraid to argue with one of my own players. If I send one of my players into the stands, then this type of thing can happen. They believe the word of someone who has been selling games for three-and-a-half years!”

Carobbio’s credibility was repeatedly questioned by others, given not one other Siena player implicated Conte in the fix. It was simply a case of one man’s word against the other and, given Conte was tried in a process that considers a defendant guilty until proven innocent, it was perhaps unsurprising that he was not only banned for 10 months but that this ruling was upheld by the Italian Federal Court.

---

DID CONTE APPEAL AGAINST HIS TOUCHLINE BAN?

---

The sentence infuriated both Conte and his then employers Juventus, as the charge relating to the Novara game had been dropped by that point, after it had been disproved that he had made up an injury to striker Salvatore Mastronunzio in order to justify his exclusion from the starting line-up. 

Conte, thus, appealed once more and his ban was eventually reduced to four months by the National Court for Sports Arbitration (TNAS). He was thus unable to sit on the bench for most of the first half of the 2012-13 season.

Conte remained indignant, continuing to protest his innocence, but the prosecutors argued that he could not have known that his assistant coach, Stellini – who was eventually suspended for two-and-a-half years – had agreed to fix the AlbinoLeffe encounter.

Palazzi also defended Carobbio’s motives for implicating his ex-boss: “He would have got the same penalty even if he had not mentioned Conte’s name. So, there was no element of personal animosity. Instead, we have shown that there is consistency in the player’s statements.”

It was for that reason that Conte was charged with sporting fraud and put on trial in 2016, just before he took Italy to the European Championship in France. Indeed, the authorities having agreed to fast-track the process in order to allow Conte to learn his fate before the tournament.

The prosecutor has called for a six-month suspended jail sentence and an €8,000 fine but Conte was ultimately found not guilty, with Judge Pierpaolo Beluzzi ruling thee case against the Azzurri coach “baseless”.

---

THE END OF CONTE’S ‘TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE’

---

After being found innocent, an emotional Conte took to Facebook to issue a statement on his ordeal.

“Four years ago, with the search which took place in my home at five o’clock in the morning, began a nightmare which at times I thought I could never finish,” he wrote.

“[Those who I am] close to and know me, know how much I’ve suffered at the very idea that we could pull over my name to the shame of Calcio Scommesse .

“Today finally puts an end to this ugly story.

Article continues below

“As I have always said, even to those who were called upon to judge me, I’m a man of sport and I don’t know any other way to get to success if not through sacrifice and total dedication.

“It’s been a terrible experience that I faced with my head held high. It shows the path that I’ve decided to undertake within the process, without looking for comfortable loopholes as I have always done in life and in sport.

“To all those who have never doubted my loyalty, I want to express my gratitude, and to reassure that from this test came out a stronger person and even more motivated.”

Last week, Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho addressed a mild spat with Chelsea counterpart Antonio Conte regarding over-zealous celebrations by issuing an acknowledgement of sorts.

“The only thing I want to say to end the story is that yes, I made mistakes in the past on the touchline,” the Portuguese said. “Yes, I will make less, but I think I will still make a few.”

However, Mourinho then added: “But what never happened to me and will never happen is to be suspended for match-fixing.”

Related

That last line sparked a furious response from Conte, who labelled Mourinho “a little man” for bringing match-fixing into the argument. 

But what is the story behind Mourinho’s reference? Goal is here to explain all…

---

WAS CONTE EVER ACCUSED OF MATCH-FIXING?

---

Conte was never actually accused of match-fixing but it was claimed that he had been aware of two attempts to do so and had failed to alert the relevant authorities.

The charges related to the former Italy international’s time in charge of Siena between May 2010 and May 2011, just before he took charge of Juventus.

During the Cremona-based investigation (Operation: Last Bet) into the Calcio Scommesse betting scandal of 2011, former Siena player Filippo Carobbio claimed that plans were made to fix a game against Novara in April 2011 because Siena president Massimo Mezzaroma had placed a significant sum of money on a draw. The game finished 2-2. 

Carobbio claims Conte was fully aware of the plot.

“There was an agreement for the draw and, in fact, we speak about it during our technical meeting,” he stated in 2012. “We were all aware of the agreed outcome, above all so that we could act accordingly during the game. The coach himself, Antonio Conte, told us that we could rest easy as we had reached an agreement with Novara.”

However, Carobbio also alleged that Conte knew of a second attempt to arrange a result, against AlbinoLeffe towards the tail end of the same season. 

According to Carobbio, in January 2011, Siena assistant coach Cristian Stellini instructed him and team-mate Claudio Terzi to get in contact with players from AlbinoLeffe to “make arrangements for the return game, so that the points would go to the side with the greater need.” At the time, Siena had already secured promotion to Serie A, while their opponents were battling relegation.

AlbinoLeffe prevailed 1-0, although Carobbio claimed that not everybody at Siena wanted to roll over.

“Some wanted to win, hoping to finish first and get the maximum bonus [for doing so],” he said. “However, in the end, we all agreed, the team and the coach, to give the win to AlbinoLeffe.”

---

HOW DID CONTE REACT TO THE CHARGES?

---

Conte was cleared of any wrongdoing in relation to the Novara fixture. However, it was ruled that he had been aware of the attempt to arrange the outcome of the game against AlbinoLeffe and subsequently failed to report the plot to the authorities.

The former midfielder maintained throughout that he knew of no such illegal activity. However, on the advice of his lawyer, he did agree to a plea-bargain put forward by the prosecutor, Stefano Palazzi, that would have seen him accept a three-month touchline ban but without having to issue any kind of admission of guilt.

This proposal was rejected by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), much to Conte’s shock.

“I agree with the judges on one thing: 90 days wasn’t a suitable punishment – the right one is zero,” he argued. “Even if today I had the certainty of a three-month ban, my answer would have been ‘no’. I didn’t do anything illegal and I didn’t fail to report anything.”

Consequently, Conte thus rejected the prosecutor’s offer to try to negotiate a second plea-bargain that the FIGC’s Disciplinary Committee would accept. Moreover, he claimed that he had been coerced into accepting the original deal with Palazzi. 

“I consider a plea-bargain blackmail,” he fumed. “I’m an innocent person yet I’m told by my lawyer to plea-bargain. It’s embarrassing. They have ruined my credibility in the changing room. Those people who know me know what type of person Antonio Conte is…

“Now I’m afraid to argue with one of my own players. If I send one of my players into the stands, then this type of thing can happen. They believe the word of someone who has been selling games for three-and-a-half years!”

Carobbio’s credibility was repeatedly questioned by others, given not one other Siena player implicated Conte in the fix. It was simply a case of one man’s word against the other and, given Conte was tried in a process that considers a defendant guilty until proven innocent, it was perhaps unsurprising that he was not only banned for 10 months but that this ruling was upheld by the Italian Federal Court.

---

DID CONTE APPEAL AGAINST HIS TOUCHLINE BAN?

---

The sentence infuriated both Conte and his then employers Juventus, as the charge relating to the Novara game had been dropped by that point, after it had been disproved that he had made up an injury to striker Salvatore Mastronunzio in order to justify his exclusion from the starting line-up. 

Conte, thus, appealed once more and his ban was eventually reduced to four months by the National Court for Sports Arbitration (TNAS). He was thus unable to sit on the bench for most of the first half of the 2012-13 season.

Conte remained indignant, continuing to protest his innocence, but the prosecutors argued that he could not have known that his assistant coach, Stellini – who was eventually suspended for two-and-a-half years – had agreed to fix the AlbinoLeffe encounter.

Palazzi also defended Carobbio’s motives for implicating his ex-boss: “He would have got the same penalty even if he had not mentioned Conte’s name. So, there was no element of personal animosity. Instead, we have shown that there is consistency in the player’s statements.”

It was for that reason that Conte was charged with sporting fraud and put on trial in 2016, just before he took Italy to the European Championship in France. Indeed, the authorities having agreed to fast-track the process in order to allow Conte to learn his fate before the tournament.

The prosecutor has called for a six-month suspended jail sentence and an €8,000 fine but Conte was ultimately found not guilty, with Judge Pierpaolo Beluzzi ruling thee case against the Azzurri coach “baseless”.

---

THE END OF CONTE’S ‘TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE’

---

After being found innocent, an emotional Conte took to Facebook to issue a statement on his ordeal.

“Four years ago, with the search which took place in my home at five o’clock in the morning, began a nightmare which at times I thought I could never finish,” he wrote.

“[Those who I am] close to and know me, know how much I’ve suffered at the very idea that we could pull over my name to the shame of Calcio Scommesse .

“Today finally puts an end to this ugly story.

Article continues below

“As I have always said, even to those who were called upon to judge me, I’m a man of sport and I don’t know any other way to get to success if not through sacrifice and total dedication.

“It’s been a terrible experience that I faced with my head held high. It shows the path that I’ve decided to undertake within the process, without looking for comfortable loopholes as I have always done in life and in sport.

“To all those who have never doubted my loyalty, I want to express my gratitude, and to reassure that from this test came out a stronger person and even more motivated.”

Last week, Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho addressed a mild spat with Chelsea counterpart Antonio Conte regarding over-zealous celebrations by issuing an acknowledgement of sorts.

“The only thing I want to say to end the story is that yes, I made mistakes in the past on the touchline,” the Portuguese said. “Yes, I will make less, but I think I will still make a few.”

However, Mourinho then added: “But what never happened to me and will never happen is to be suspended for match-fixing.”

Related

That last line sparked a furious response from Conte, who labelled Mourinho “a little man” for bringing match-fixing into the argument. 

But what is the story behind Mourinho’s reference? Goal is here to explain all…

---

WAS CONTE EVER ACCUSED OF MATCH-FIXING?

---

Conte was never actually accused of match-fixing but it was claimed that he had been aware of two attempts to do so and had failed to alert the relevant authorities.

The charges related to the former Italy international’s time in charge of Siena between May 2010 and May 2011, just before he took charge of Juventus.

During the Cremona-based investigation (Operation: Last Bet) into the Calcio Scommesse betting scandal of 2011, former Siena player Filippo Carobbio claimed that plans were made to fix a game against Novara in April 2011 because Siena president Massimo Mezzaroma had placed a significant sum of money on a draw. The game finished 2-2. 

Carobbio claims Conte was fully aware of the plot.

“There was an agreement for the draw and, in fact, we speak about it during our technical meeting,” he stated in 2012. “We were all aware of the agreed outcome, above all so that we could act accordingly during the game. The coach himself, Antonio Conte, told us that we could rest easy as we had reached an agreement with Novara.”

However, Carobbio also alleged that Conte knew of a second attempt to arrange a result, against AlbinoLeffe towards the tail end of the same season. 

According to Carobbio, in January 2011, Siena assistant coach Cristian Stellini instructed him and team-mate Claudio Terzi to get in contact with players from AlbinoLeffe to “make arrangements for the return game, so that the points would go to the side with the greater need.” At the time, Siena had already secured promotion to Serie A, while their opponents were battling relegation.

AlbinoLeffe prevailed 1-0, although Carobbio claimed that not everybody at Siena wanted to roll over.

“Some wanted to win, hoping to finish first and get the maximum bonus [for doing so],” he said. “However, in the end, we all agreed, the team and the coach, to give the win to AlbinoLeffe.”

---

HOW DID CONTE REACT TO THE CHARGES?

---

Conte was cleared of any wrongdoing in relation to the Novara fixture. However, it was ruled that he had been aware of the attempt to arrange the outcome of the game against AlbinoLeffe and subsequently failed to report the plot to the authorities.

The former midfielder maintained throughout that he knew of no such illegal activity. However, on the advice of his lawyer, he did agree to a plea-bargain put forward by the prosecutor, Stefano Palazzi, that would have seen him accept a three-month touchline ban but without having to issue any kind of admission of guilt.

This proposal was rejected by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), much to Conte’s shock.

“I agree with the judges on one thing: 90 days wasn’t a suitable punishment – the right one is zero,” he argued. “Even if today I had the certainty of a three-month ban, my answer would have been ‘no’. I didn’t do anything illegal and I didn’t fail to report anything.”

Consequently, Conte thus rejected the prosecutor’s offer to try to negotiate a second plea-bargain that the FIGC’s Disciplinary Committee would accept. Moreover, he claimed that he had been coerced into accepting the original deal with Palazzi. 

“I consider a plea-bargain blackmail,” he fumed. “I’m an innocent person yet I’m told by my lawyer to plea-bargain. It’s embarrassing. They have ruined my credibility in the changing room. Those people who know me know what type of person Antonio Conte is…

“Now I’m afraid to argue with one of my own players. If I send one of my players into the stands, then this type of thing can happen. They believe the word of someone who has been selling games for three-and-a-half years!”

Carobbio’s credibility was repeatedly questioned by others, given not one other Siena player implicated Conte in the fix. It was simply a case of one man’s word against the other and, given Conte was tried in a process that considers a defendant guilty until proven innocent, it was perhaps unsurprising that he was not only banned for 10 months but that this ruling was upheld by the Italian Federal Court.

---

DID CONTE APPEAL AGAINST HIS TOUCHLINE BAN?

---

The sentence infuriated both Conte and his then employers Juventus, as the charge relating to the Novara game had been dropped by that point, after it had been disproved that he had made up an injury to striker Salvatore Mastronunzio in order to justify his exclusion from the starting line-up. 

Conte, thus, appealed once more and his ban was eventually reduced to four months by the National Court for Sports Arbitration (TNAS). He was thus unable to sit on the bench for most of the first half of the 2012-13 season.

Conte remained indignant, continuing to protest his innocence, but the prosecutors argued that he could not have known that his assistant coach, Stellini – who was eventually suspended for two-and-a-half years – had agreed to fix the AlbinoLeffe encounter.

Palazzi also defended Carobbio’s motives for implicating his ex-boss: “He would have got the same penalty even if he had not mentioned Conte’s name. So, there was no element of personal animosity. Instead, we have shown that there is consistency in the player’s statements.”

It was for that reason that Conte was charged with sporting fraud and put on trial in 2016, just before he took Italy to the European Championship in France. Indeed, the authorities having agreed to fast-track the process in order to allow Conte to learn his fate before the tournament.

The prosecutor has called for a six-month suspended jail sentence and an €8,000 fine but Conte was ultimately found not guilty, with Judge Pierpaolo Beluzzi ruling thee case against the Azzurri coach “baseless”.

---

THE END OF CONTE’S ‘TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE’

---

After being found innocent, an emotional Conte took to Facebook to issue a statement on his ordeal.

“Four years ago, with the search which took place in my home at five o’clock in the morning, began a nightmare which at times I thought I could never finish,” he wrote.

“[Those who I am] close to and know me, know how much I’ve suffered at the very idea that we could pull over my name to the shame of Calcio Scommesse .

“Today finally puts an end to this ugly story.

Article continues below

“As I have always said, even to those who were called upon to judge me, I’m a man of sport and I don’t know any other way to get to success if not through sacrifice and total dedication.

“It’s been a terrible experience that I faced with my head held high. It shows the path that I’ve decided to undertake within the process, without looking for comfortable loopholes as I have always done in life and in sport.

“To all those who have never doubted my loyalty, I want to express my gratitude, and to reassure that from this test came out a stronger person and even more motivated.”

Last week, Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho addressed a mild spat with Chelsea counterpart Antonio Conte regarding over-zealous celebrations by issuing an acknowledgement of sorts.

“The only thing I want to say to end the story is that yes, I made mistakes in the past on the touchline,” the Portuguese said. “Yes, I will make less, but I think I will still make a few.”

However, Mourinho then added: “But what never happened to me and will never happen is to be suspended for match-fixing.”

Related

That last line sparked a furious response from Conte, who labelled Mourinho “a little man” for bringing match-fixing into the argument. 

But what is the story behind Mourinho’s reference? Goal is here to explain all…

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WAS CONTE EVER ACCUSED OF MATCH-FIXING?

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Conte was never actually accused of match-fixing but it was claimed that he had been aware of two attempts to do so and had failed to alert the relevant authorities.

The charges related to the former Italy international’s time in charge of Siena between May 2010 and May 2011, just before he took charge of Juventus.

During the Cremona-based investigation (Operation: Last Bet) into the Calcio Scommesse betting scandal of 2011, former Siena player Filippo Carobbio claimed that plans were made to fix a game against Novara in April 2011 because Siena president Massimo Mezzaroma had placed a significant sum of money on a draw. The game finished 2-2. 

Carobbio claims Conte was fully aware of the plot.

“There was an agreement for the draw and, in fact, we speak about it during our technical meeting,” he stated in 2012. “We were all aware of the agreed outcome, above all so that we could act accordingly during the game. The coach himself, Antonio Conte, told us that we could rest easy as we had reached an agreement with Novara.”

However, Carobbio also alleged that Conte knew of a second attempt to arrange a result, against AlbinoLeffe towards the tail end of the same season. 

According to Carobbio, in January 2011, Siena assistant coach Cristian Stellini instructed him and team-mate Claudio Terzi to get in contact with players from AlbinoLeffe to “make arrangements for the return game, so that the points would go to the side with the greater need.” At the time, Siena had already secured promotion to Serie A, while their opponents were battling relegation.

AlbinoLeffe prevailed 1-0, although Carobbio claimed that not everybody at Siena wanted to roll over.

“Some wanted to win, hoping to finish first and get the maximum bonus [for doing so],” he said. “However, in the end, we all agreed, the team and the coach, to give the win to AlbinoLeffe.”

---

HOW DID CONTE REACT TO MATCH-FIXING CHARGES?

---

Conte was cleared of any wrongdoing in relation to the Novara fixture. However, it was ruled that he had been aware of the attempt to arrange the outcome of the game against AlbinoLeffe and subsequently failed to report the plot to the authorities.

The former midfielder maintained throughout that he knew of no such illegal activity. However, on the advice of his lawyer, he did agree to a plea-bargain put forward by the prosecutor, Stefano Palazzi, that would have seen him accept a three-month touchline ban but without having to issue any kind of admission of guilt.

This proposal was rejected by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), much to Conte’s shock.

“I agree with the judges on one thing: 90 days wasn’t a suitable punishment – the right one is zero,” he argued. “Even if today I had the certainty of a three-month ban, my answer would have been ‘no’. I didn’t do anything illegal and I didn’t fail to report anything.”

Consequently, Conte thus rejected the prosecutor’s offer to try to negotiate a second plea-bargain that the FIGC’s Disciplinary Committee would accept. Moreover, he claimed that he had been coerced into accepting the original deal with Palazzi. 

“I consider a plea-bargain blackmail,” he fumed. “I’m an innocent person yet I’m told by my lawyer to plea-bargain. It’s embarrassing. They have ruined my credibility in the changing room. Those people who know me know what type of person Antonio Conte is…

“Now I’m afraid to argue with one of my own players. If I send one of my players into the stands, then this type of thing can happen. They believe the word of someone who has been selling games for three-and-a-half years!”

Carobbio’s credibility was repeatedly questioned by others, given not one other Siena player implicated Conte in the fix. It was simply a case of one man’s word against the other and, given Conte was tried in a process that considers a defendant guilty until proven innocent, it was perhaps unsurprising that he was not only banned for 10 months but that this ruling was upheld by the Italian Federal Court.

---

DID CONTE APPEAL AGAINST HIS TOUCHLINE BAN?

---

The sentence infuriated both Conte and his then employers Juventus, as the charge relating to the Novara game had been dropped by that point, after it had been disproved that he had made up an injury to striker Salvatore Mastronunzio in order to justify his exclusion from the starting line-up. 

Conte, thus, appealed once more and his ban was eventually reduced to four months by the National Court for Sports Arbitration (TNAS). He was thus unable to sit on the bench for most of the first half of the 2012-13 season.

Conte remained indignant, continuing to protest his innocence, but the prosecutors argued that he could not have known that his assistant coach, Stellini – who was eventually suspended for two-and-a-half years – had agreed to fix the AlbinoLeffe encounter.

Palazzi also defended Carobbio’s motives for implicating his ex-boss: “He would have got the same penalty even if he had not mentioned Conte’s name. So, there was no element of personal animosity. Instead, we have shown that there is consistency in the player’s statements.”

It was for that reason that Conte was charged with sporting fraud and put on trial in 2016, just before he took Italy to the European Championship in France. Indeed, the authorities having agreed to fast-track the process in order to allow Conte to learn his fate before the tournament.

The prosecutor has called for a six-month suspended jail sentence and an €8,000 fine but Conte was ultimately found not guilty, with Judge Pierpaolo Beluzzi ruling thee case against the Azzurri coach “baseless”.

---

THE END OF CONTE’S ‘TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE’

---

After being found innocent, an emotional Conte took to Facebook to issue a statement on his ordeal.

“Four years ago, with the search which took place in my home at five o’clock in the morning, began a nightmare which at times I thought I could never finish,” he wrote.

“[Those who I am] close to and know me, know how much I’ve suffered at the very idea that we could pull over my name to the shame of Calcio Scommesse .

“Today finally puts an end to this ugly story.

Article continues below

“As I have always said, even to those who were called upon to judge me, I’m a man of sport and I don’t know any other way to get to success if not through sacrifice and total dedication.

“It’s been a terrible experience that I faced with my head held high. It shows the path that I’ve decided to undertake within the process, without looking for comfortable loopholes as I have always done in life and in sport.

“To all those who have never doubted my loyalty, I want to express my gratitude, and to reassure that from this test came out a stronger person and even more motivated.”

Last week, Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho addressed a mild spat with Chelsea counterpart Antonio Conte regarding over-zealous celebrations by issuing an acknowledgement of sorts.

“The only thing I want to say to end the story is that yes, I made mistakes in the past on the touchline,” the Portuguese said. “Yes, I will make less, but I think I will still make a few.”

However, Mourinho then added: “But what never happened to me and will never happen is to be suspended for match-fixing.”

Related

That last line sparked a furious response from Conte, who labelled Mourinho “a little man” for bringing match-fixing into the argument. 

But what is the story behind Mourinho’s reference? Goal is here to explain all…

---

WAS CONTE EVER ACCUSED OF MATCH-FIXING?

---

Conte was never actually accused of match-fixing but it was claimed that he had been aware of two attempts to do so and had failed to alert the relevant authorities.

The charges related to the former Italy international’s time in charge of Siena between May 2010 and May 2011, just before he took charge of Juventus.

During the Cremona-based investigation (Operation: Last Bet) into the Calcio Scommesse betting scandal of 2011, former Siena player Filippo Carobbio claimed that plans were made to fix a game against Novara in April 2011 because Siena president Massimo Mezzaroma had placed a significant sum of money on a draw. The game finished 2-2. 

Carobbio claims Conte was fully aware of the plot.

“There was an agreement for the draw and, in fact, we speak about it during our technical meeting,” he stated in 2012. “We were all aware of the agreed outcome, above all so that we could act accordingly during the game. The coach himself, Antonio Conte, told us that we could rest easy as we had reached an agreement with Novara.”

However, Carobbio also alleged that Conte knew of a second attempt to arrange a result, against AlbinoLeffe towards the tail end of the same season. 

According to Carobbio, in January 2011, Siena assistant coach Cristian Stellini instructed him and team-mate Claudio Terzi to get in contact with players from AlbinoLeffe to “make arrangements for the return game, so that the points would go to the side with the greater need.” At the time, Siena had already secured promotion to Serie A, while their opponents were battling relegation.

AlbinoLeffe prevailed 1-0, although Carobbio claimed that not everybody at Siena wanted to roll over.

“Some wanted to win, hoping to finish first and get the maximum bonus [for doing so],” he said. “However, in the end, we all agreed, the team and the coach, to give the win to AlbinoLeffe.”

---

HOW DID CONTE REACT TO MATCH-FIXING CHARGES?

---

Conte was cleared of any wrongdoing in relation to the Novara fixture. However, it was ruled that he had been aware of the attempt to arrange the outcome of the game against AlbinoLeffe and subsequently failed to report the plot to the authorities.

The former midfielder maintained throughout that he knew of no such illegal activity. However, on the advice of his lawyer, he did agree to a plea-bargain put forward by the prosecutor, Stefano Palazzi, that would have seen him accept a three-month touchline ban but without having to issue any kind of admission of guilt.

This proposal was rejected by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), much to Conte’s shock.

“I agree with the judges on one thing: 90 days wasn’t a suitable punishment – the right one is zero,” he argued. “Even if today I had the certainty of a three-month ban, my answer would have been ‘no’. I didn’t do anything illegal and I didn’t fail to report anything.”

Consequently, Conte thus rejected the prosecutor’s offer to try to negotiate a second plea-bargain that the FIGC’s Disciplinary Committee would accept. Moreover, he claimed that he had been coerced into accepting the original deal with Palazzi. 

“I consider a plea-bargain blackmail,” he fumed. “I’m an innocent person yet I’m told by my lawyer to plea-bargain. It’s embarrassing. They have ruined my credibility in the changing room. Those people who know me know what type of person Antonio Conte is…

“Now I’m afraid to argue with one of my own players. If I send one of my players into the stands, then this type of thing can happen. They believe the word of someone who has been selling games for three-and-a-half years!”

Carobbio’s credibility was repeatedly questioned by others, given not one other Siena player implicated Conte in the fix. It was simply a case of one man’s word against the other and, given Conte was tried in a process that considers a defendant guilty until proven innocent, it was perhaps unsurprising that he was not only banned for 10 months but that this ruling was upheld by the Italian Federal Court.

---

DID CONTE APPEAL AGAINST HIS TOUCHLINE BAN?

---

The sentence infuriated both Conte and his then employers Juventus, as the charge relating to the Novara game had been dropped by that point, after it had been disproved that he had made up an injury to striker Salvatore Mastronunzio in order to justify his exclusion from the starting line-up. 

Conte, thus, appealed once more and his ban was eventually reduced to four months by the National Court for Sports Arbitration (TNAS). He was thus unable to sit on the bench for most of the first half of the 2012-13 season.

Conte remained indignant, continuing to protest his innocence, but the prosecutors argued that he could not have known that his assistant coach, Stellini – who was eventually suspended for two-and-a-half years – had agreed to fix the AlbinoLeffe encounter.

Palazzi also defended Carobbio’s motives for implicating his ex-boss: “He would have got the same penalty even if he had not mentioned Conte’s name. So, there was no element of personal animosity. Instead, we have shown that there is consistency in the player’s statements.”

It was for that reason that Conte was charged with sporting fraud and put on trial in 2016, just before he took Italy to the European Championship in France. Indeed, the authorities having agreed to fast-track the process in order to allow Conte to learn his fate before the tournament.

The prosecutor has called for a six-month suspended jail sentence and an €8,000 fine but Conte was ultimately found not guilty, with Judge Pierpaolo Beluzzi ruling thee case against the Azzurri coach “baseless”.

---

THE END OF CONTE’S ‘TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE’

---

After being found innocent, an emotional Conte took to Facebook to issue a statement on his ordeal.

“Four years ago, with the search which took place in my home at five o’clock in the morning, began a nightmare which at times I thought I could never finish,” he wrote.

“[Those who I am] close to and know me, know how much I’ve suffered at the very idea that we could pull over my name to the shame of Calcio Scommesse .

“Today finally puts an end to this ugly story.

Article continues below

“As I have always said, even to those who were called upon to judge me, I’m a man of sport and I don’t know any other way to get to success if not through sacrifice and total dedication.

“It’s been a terrible experience that I faced with my head held high. It shows the path that I’ve decided to undertake within the process, without looking for comfortable loopholes as I have always done in life and in sport.

“To all those who have never doubted my loyalty, I want to express my gratitude, and to reassure that from this test came out a stronger person and even more motivated.”