DPA ©
Italy's coach Antonio Conte
could plea bargain as he hopes for a rapid exit from a corruption
trial that had its first preliminary hearing Thursday in the northern
city of Cremona.
Conte, who is to lead the Azzurri squad at Euro 2016 starting on June
10 in France, was charged with sports fraud along with about 100
other people in a wide investigation into illegal betting that began
in 2012.
Prosecutors believe that he knew about, but did not report, the
fixing of matches from some Siena players when he was coaching the
Tuscany club in the 2010-11 season.
"[Conte] is calm, but wants to get out of this affair soon," the ANSA
news agency quoted Francesco Arata, one of Conte's lawyers, as
saying.
It is believed that two more hearings will be held to consider more
than 100 instances of people and associations filing civil damage
claims against the defendants.
The Italian football federation FIGC was said to have filed for
damages against all defendants save Conte, his assistant coach Angelo
Alessio and the current Udinese coach Stefano Colantuono, who was
charged when he was at Atalanta.
Also on trial are Lazio captain Stefano Mauri and Chievo striker
Sergio Pellissier, both in activity. Retired footballers Cristiano
Doni, Giuseppe Signori, Omar Milanetto are also involved with other
footballers and club officials from Italy's three professional
leagues.
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