Italian football has once again found itself facing the spectre of a betting scandal, and a former Juventus player has now named one of the club’s most iconic figures in relation to past gambling activity.
Roughly a year ago, the sport was shaken by a high-profile betting controversy that resulted in lengthy suspensions for players, including Sandro Tonali and Nicolo Fagioli. Both were handed significant bans from the game, affecting not only their careers but also their respective clubs. At the time, Juventus and Newcastle United offered support to the players, with Fagioli now continuing his career with Fiorentina in Serie A.
In recent weeks, further developments have emerged, though there is currently no suggestion that any current Juventus players will face disciplinary action. Nonetheless, the matter has resurfaced following remarks made by Felipe Melo, a former Juventus midfielder who represented the club between 2009 and 2011.
Speaking about his time at Juventus, Melo revealed that one of his former teammates regularly engaged in betting activity during their playing days. As cited by Calciomercato, he stated:
“I know this will seem controversial, because I’ll tell you something that not many people know: when I played for Juventus, we stayed in a hotel in Turin that was in a shopping centre, which had a cinema. We sometimes went out and went to the cinema. And Buffon bet, he kept betting. He had his iPad or his computer with him, and he bet.”
The individual named is Gianluigi Buffon, one of the most revered figures in Italian football and a Juventus legend. While there is no indication of wrongdoing or breaches of regulations on Buffon’s part during his career, Melo’s statement has nonetheless added fresh intrigue to an issue that continues to cast a shadow over the sport.
Buffon has since retired, and Juventus will undoubtedly be keen to ensure that none of their current players are entangled in similar controversies. Any recurrence of such behaviour, particularly if made public, could have serious consequences for those involved, both reputationally and professionally.
