The controversy in Italian football continues after ongoing investigations regarding the arbitration file, amid increasing comparisons with the famous “Calciopoli” scandal of 2006.

Italian lawyer D’Onofrio, who previously worked alongside Luciano Moggi during that case, confirmed that the current investigations are still in their early stages, noting that the available data so far is not sufficient to determine whether the violations are merely procedural breaches or deliberate sports crimes aimed at influencing match results.

D’Onofrio explained that any sports conviction requires proof of “clear intent” to change the outcome of matches, but he also emphasized that legal precedents in Italy make the case extremely sensitive. He added that comparisons with the 2006 scandal remain possible, especially since that case set strict standards in evaluating facts and evidence within the Italian sports judiciary.

The Italian lawyer also pointed out that the absence of clubs from the list of defendants currently does not mean excluding the hypothesis of “sports fraud,” explaining that Italian sports laws allow for a club to be considered indirectly responsible if it is proven that violations were committed in its favor, even without direct and public involvement from the management.

D’Onofrio concluded his remarks by emphasizing that Article 6 of the Italian Football Federation's law grants sports authorities broad powers to punish clubs benefiting from any arbitration or sports violations, which brings to mind the harsh penalties witnessed in the “Calciopoli” case, when several clubs, most notably Juventus, faced historic sanctions that shook Italian football.