Siena accept new plea bargain

By Football Italia staff

Siena have agreed a new plea bargain in the betting scandal for a six-point penalty and €100,000 fine, but then-Coach Antonio Conte is yet to decide his next step.

The sporting trial began this morning and the judges shocked everyone when rejecting the proposed plea bargains of a five-point ban for Siena and Conte’s three-month ban with €200,000 fine.

The magistrates complained that the plea bargains – which had been negotiated with the prosecutor Stefano Palazzi – were “not suited” to the charges of failing to alert authorities to an attempted fix.

Siena have now come back into the court room and their new offer of a plea bargain – six-point penalty and €100,000 fine – has been accepted.

It means Siena will begin the new season from -6 in the Serie A table, just as Torino and Serie B side Varese begin from -1.

The Disciplinary Commission’s judges also accepted new plea bargains for Poloni (six months), Savorani (five months and 10 days), D’Urbano (five months and 10 days), Passoni (six months and 15 days) and Albinoleffe (-1 point and €30,000 fine).

However, Conte – who is now Coach of Juventus – has not yet come forward with a new plea bargain. It’s not clear if he will opt for a different bargain, said to be a four-month ban with €100,000 fine, or go to full trial.

Conte has always stated his innocence and wanted to defend himself, but was advised by lawyers to accept a plea bargain instead.

The entire case against Conte revolves around the testimony of former Siena player Filippo Carobbio, who claims the Coach told the whole team in a locker room meeting that a result was already fixed.

The other players present at the meeting have testified to deny Conte ever said that.

Meanwhile, prosecutor Palazzi has set out his requests for those who did not seek plea bargains in the betting trial.

Bertani (three years and six months), Bombardini (three years and six months), Camilli (five years), Mario Cassano (nine months), Catinali (three years and six months), Coppola (three years and six months), Drascek (three years and six months), Gheller (three years and six months), Pellicori (three years and six months), Pesoli (three years), Terzi (three years and six months), Vitiello (four years), Ancona (€10,000 fine), Grosseto (relegation to Lega Pro and three-point penalty), Novara (four-point penalty in Serie B).

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