ROME — In his efforts to save Italy from the brink of economic disaster, Prime Minister Mario Monti has repeatedly incurred the wrath of taxpayers and pensioners upset by the severity of his measures.

Mr. Monti may have made new enemies on Tuesday when he suggested that soccer in Italy be suspended for two or three years in the wake of a match-fixing scandal that shook the country’s most beloved sport this week.

Fourteen people were taken into custody on Monday, including the Lazio team’s captain, Stefano Mauri, and a former player with Genoa, Omar Milanetto.

On its Web site, the Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio, which organizes and manages Italian soccer, said that other people had been placed under house arrest and that two individuals had been released but had to report daily to the authorities.