2006年VOA标准英语-Inquiries in Italian Football Scandal Wide

（单词翻译）

By Sabina Castelfranco
Rome
14 May 2006

A football (soccer) scandal in Italy is taking its toll¹. One Italian referee²'s accreditation³ to the upcoming World Cup in Germany has been withdrawn⁴, and prosecutors⁵ have ordered more than 40 people to face questioning. The Vatican has denounced the scandal as an offense⁶ to sport.

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With less than a month before the World Cup Championship in Germany, the attention of Italians is focused on a scandal that has engulfed⁷ the country's national sport. Radio and television broadcasts and pages and pages of newspapers are devoted⁸ to the football scandal.

Prosecutors have opened a massive investigation⁹ into allegations of fixing games and illegal betting. The Italian football federation¹⁰ Saturday withdrew the World Cup accreditation of a well-known referee, after he was implicated¹¹ in the scandal.

Juventus supporters protest outside soccer club headquarters, during a team's board meeting, in Turin, May 11, 2006   
  
Four teams in the top-level Series A are involved so far: Juventus, Milan, Lazio and Fiorentina.

Industrialist¹² Diego Della Valle, whose family owns Fiorentina, said he is absolutely confident that his club is in no way involved in this affair.

Juventus is one of Italy's most celebrated¹³ teams. But the entire board of the team resigned last week, and its general manager is under investigation for influencing referees¹⁴.

More than 40 people have been ordered to face questioning. They are being investigated for criminal association and sporting fraud.

Italy's star goalkeeper, Gianluigi Buffon, was questioned over suspected illegal betting. He says he is innocent and wants to play in the upcoming World Cup Championship.

The former team president of Bologna, Giuseppe Gazzoni Frascara, said the scandal is almost enough to make one ashamed to be Italian. He questioned whether the Italian team should even play in the world championship.

He said it is sad that this is happening just before the World Cup, which begins next month.

The Vatican newspaper, meanwhile, described the football scandal as an offense to sports and to its values.