The head of the AIA had requested a plea bargain, but the Federal Prosecutor’s Office refused, considering the proposed sanction inappropriate.

This morning, the FIGC Prosecutor’s Office notified the referral of the president of the AIA, Antonio Zappi, and the member of the National Committee, Emanuele Marchesi. “It is the darkest hour, but there will be a judge in Berlin,” was the bitter comment of the president, who quoted two famous historical phrases. This was an expected move, following the conclusion of the investigation and, above all, after reading the Prosecutor’s documents accusing the president of allegedly exerting pressure on the heads of the technical bodies of Serie C and Serie D, in particular Maurizio Ciampi and Alessandro Pizzi who, according to the prosecution, were forced to resign and then replaced by Daniele Orsato and Stefano Braschi. The head of the referees, who had been heard by prosecutor Chinè during the investigation and again after the notice of closure of the investigation, preferring to appear in Via Campania to sending a defense brief, did not reach an agreement on a possible plea bargain that he had initially requested without, however, any acceptance, even implicit, of responsibility or guilt in order not to destabilize the Hague too much. The prosecutor considered the proposed sanction to be incongruous and decided to reject it. The president is therefore set to face trial before the National Federal Court.
In a statement published on the AIA website immediately after the referral, Zappi reiterates “his total innocence and claims the full legitimacy of his actions. In full compliance with the procedures and institutions of sports justice, all necessary steps were immediately taken to provide the requested clarifications and to make available the documentation useful for demonstrating the correctness of the actions of the President and the Italian Referees’ Association.” The President then confirmed “maximum cooperation with the competent bodies” and invited all members “to maintain balance, cohesion, and a sense of responsibility, avoiding public controversy that could damage the image, unity, and credibility of the AIA.” For the sake of transparency, he requested that the documents be made available to members who wish to view them.

avanti aia—  The note concludes by reiterating that the AIA and Zappi will continue “to act with rigor and determination, asserting their institutional dignity in every forum and protecting the solidity of the Association, continuing to carry out their role with independence and responsibility. The desire to carry out a technical project based on quality, growth, and the enhancement of the entire refereeing movement remains unchanged, in line with the path traced since the beginning of the mandate, in the belief that respect for the rules and guarantees is the foundation of any fair and informed evaluation.”