Netflix 'Bad Sport': Why was Juventus put down from Serie A after Calciopoli scandal?
Football is the world’s most popular sport and more than 200 countries play the game. Apart from being popular, Football can make anyone’s life with the sheer amount of money is spent on the game. If you have joined the game and you get a chance to play for a big team, then your future is secured. However, money brings in a lot of controversies as well. Sometimes, a player’s greed can absolutely ruin the game for everyone and that’s what happened with Juventus in 2006.
The story of Juventus, one of the iconic football clubs in Italy, getting relegated will be discussed in the upcoming Netflix documentary series ‘Bad Sport’. The series will provide an insight into how a team with such a glorious past became a figure of controversy due to the illegal things done by some of the players.
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The documentary series seems to be a worthy addition to Netflix’s catalogue of sports docuseries, which already include the likes of ‘The Last Dance’, ‘Formula 1: Drive to Survive’ and ‘Athlete A’. The makers of ‘Bad Sport’ will be hoping for a similar kind of reception for their project as well.
So, what happened in 2006 that changed Italian football completely? Let’s find out.
Calciopoli Scandal
Juventus has been one of the most legendary football clubs in the history of the game and won numerous championships, including 36 Serie A titles. The team has given a plethora of solid players for many years now and is considered to be one of the most successful clubs in the history of the game.
However, 2006 created a big dent in the team’s history and it all happened due to the ‘Calciopoli Scandal’.
The Calciopoli Scandal broke out ahead of the 2006 FIFA World Cup and saw some of the biggest teams in Italian football being accused of match-fixing. The scandal first came to light in May 2006 when a group of investigators found out about the telephonic conversations between the managers from Juventus and several top officials of Italian football during the 2004-2005 and 2005-2006 seasons.
The transcripts of the conversations found that Juventus general managers Luciano Moggi and Antonio Giraudo were trying to influence referee appointments. During the investigation, Moggi was found guilty of interfering in appointing the referees, which allowed the director to exert his influence while handpicking referees for the matches. The investigation also revealed that Moggi and Giraudo allegedly detained referee Gianluca Paparesta and his two assistants in a changing room after Juventus lost 2-1 in a match against Reggina in November 2004.
Apart from Juventus, teams like AC Milan, Fiorentina, and Lazio were also found guilty as well, while Inter Milan was the only team to get acquitted.
In addition to allegations of corruption and sporting fraud by owners, managers, players, referees, and league officials, the host of Italy's most popular football show, Aldo Biscardi, resigned amid allegations that he collaborated with Juventus general manager Luciano Moggi to boost the club's image on television.
Juventus relegated, AC Milan lose crucial points
The investigation got over and found Moggi guilty of influencing the referee appointments. Moggi was handed a life ban from Italian football while all the teams accused of being a part of the scandal were also slapped with punishments.
For the first time in history, Juventus was relegated to Serie B. Here’s how every team faced the wrath of the scandal.
Juventus: Stripped of the 2004–05 Serie A title, downgraded to last place in the 2005–06 season and relegated to Serie B.
AC Milan: Deducted 30 points for the 2005–06 Serie A season and one home game behind closed doors.
Fiorentina: Out of the 2006–07 UEFA Champions League and two home games behind closed doors.
Lazio: Out of the 2006–07 UEFA Cup and two home games behind closed doors.
Reggina: €100,000 fine, Club president Pasquale Foti fined €30,000 and banned from football for 2½ years.
Did Juventus manage to get promoted to Serie A?
Juventus did not take much time in showing they are a class apart and came back strong. The team remained in Serie B for just one year as they finished at the top of the league standings. However, the comeback was never going to be easy and that’s why Juventus revamped its entire structure.
They formed new management, built a new stadium, and renegotiated sponsorship deals. The Italian giants won their first Serie A title since the scandal in the 2011/12 season, after which the club has won the league every year since then.
Netflix will be covering the extraordinary story in the upcoming docuseries ‘Bad Sport’, which is scheduled to hit Netflix on Wednesday, October 6.