Scandal-struck Juventus attempted to make a fresh start Wednesday with the appointment of a new board of directors, featuring club legend and 1982 World Cup-winner Marco Tardelli.
The old board of the Serie A giant was forced to quit last month, after allegations that its management team was at the centre of a match-fixing organization.
"Today we turn over a new leaf after a sad chapter in our history," said John Elkann, the Vice President of IFIL, the holding company through which the Agnelli family control Juventus and Fiat. "There has been reprehensible behaviour and we must start again with two aims - clarifying things and giving stability and future prospects (to the club).
"The new Juventus will be born with the values of courage, passion, correctness and competitiveness. It is a project that goes beyond Juventus and regards all soccer enthusiasts. "The road is long and difficult and the fans' support is needed".
Tardelli, who scored in Italy's 3-1 win over Germany in the 1982 World Cup final, is well liked and trusted by the Italian sporting public. His presence should help restore credibility and will be popular with the Juve faithful too. Tardelli commanded the Juventus midfield for 10 years, between 1975 and 1985.
He will be part of a special "sporting committee" along with the coach of the Italian national volleyball team, Gian Paolo Montali. The general manager post previously held by the disgraced Luciano Moggi will probably be merged with that of
managing director.
Moggi is the man at the centre of the scandal. He is suspected of organizing a network of referees, linesmen, referee-appointers and Federation officials that steered Serie A games in some clubs' favour. Juventus' new managing director is Jean-Claude Blanc, a French manager who in the past has organized the Tour de France and the Roland Garros tennis tournament.
The new president is Cobolli Gigli, a 61-year-old who is currently head of the Federdistribuzione retail association. On Wednesday Blanc hinted that coach Fabio Capello will leave Juventus if the club is relegated to Serie B as punishment.
"We have only spoken with Capello about (the prospect of playing in) Serie A," he said. According to press reports, a likely successor is former AC Milan, Lazio and Inter boss Alberto Zaccheroni. On Wednesday two ministers rejected a proposal that people implicated in the scandal should be granted an amnesty if the national team wins the World Cup.
"I reject this sort of talk," said Sports Minister Giovanna Melandri.
"We must wait for the outcome of the investigations, but the issue should be addressed, regardless of the result of the World Cup". Communications Minister Paolo Gentiloni also gave the thumbs down to the suggestion made on Monday by MP Maurizio Paniz, a member of former Premier Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia party and a supporter of Juventus.
Sampdoria, AC Milan, Fiorentina and Lazio are also suspected of being involved in the "Moggi system", as well as Juve.
Juventus risks being dumped from Serie A and the European Champions League and being stripped of the 2005 and 2006
crowns. The others may face sanctions that go from relegation to the second division to league-points penalties.
Gentiloni said that the government is preparing legislation to change the way soccer TV rights are negotiated and distributed in Italy.
The smaller clubs are unhappy with the current system, in which each side negotiates its own deal with broadcasters. They say this means the big sides land massive deals, while they are left with "the crumbs". Gentiloni said the new law would ensure there is "greater balance in the soccer system".
