The Italian football association (FIGC) is to sanction the former President and former CEO of Catania, a former player agent and another individual with match-fixing, after reviewing evidence from the Catania public prosecutor’s office. ‘After examining the investigation documents delivered by the Public Prosecutor’s Office of the Catania Court, Federal Prosecutor, Stefano Palazzi, has referred the following people to the Disciplinary Commission of the Federal Court: Antonino Pulvirenti, at that time President of Calcio Catania S.p.A.; Pablo Gustavo Cosentino, at that time CEO of Calcio Catania S.p.A.; Piero Di Luzio, at that time contracted with Genoa Cricket Football Club; and Fernando Antonio Arbotti, a football agent until 31 March 2015’, read an FIGC statement issued today.

The FIGC also said it had notified Catania, which narrowly avoided relegation from Serie B at the end of last season, that it will be charged with ‘direct and objective liability’ for the actions of its executives. Catania has yet to issue a response however in June, Genoa Cricket Football Club has sought to distance itself from Di Luzio, arguing in a statement that he was a casual employee of the club.

The FIGC began questioning Pulvirenti about his involvement in fixing games on 28 July. As reported by the Sports Integrity Initiative, he resigned on 2 July after admitting his role in fixing matches, and has since put the club up for sale. The full FIGC charge sheet, available in Italian here, lists the former club President as ‘head and promoter’ of the match-fixing operation.

‘Through wiretaps, investigators recorded numerous conversations that were particularly clear on how to alter the outcome of Catania’s Serie B football matches’, read a June 23 statement. ‘The police have thus discovered the existence of a criminal organisation with a stable organisational structure, divided into different roles and tasks’.

Police said the illegal activity began after the away defeat of Catania by Virtus Entella on 21 March, which put Catania into the relegation zone. Police established that five matches may have been fixed: Catania’s 3-0 victory over Varese on 2 April; Catania’s 4-1 victory over Trapani on 11 April; Catania’s 2-1 victory over Latina on 19 April; Catania’s 2-0 victory over Ternana on 24 April; and Livornio’s 1-1 draw with Catania on 2 May.

Catania was relegated from Serie A the previous season and finished 15th in Serie B during the 2014/15 season, just three points above the relegation play-off places, following its run of six consecutive wins. The Sicilian club, whose main rival is Palermo, won promotion to Serie A at the end of the 2005/6 season. Following the investigation, Serie B proposed a number of changes designed to tackle match-fixing.