ROME: Former Lazio captain Giuseppe Signori was among 16 people arrested Wednesday for alleged involvement in a match-fixing and betting ring throughout Italy. Others arrested included current players in Serie B and C, executives for lower-level clubs and betting operators. The police operation was based in Cremona and arrests were carried out in more than 10 cities across the peninsula. Matches under investigation included some involving Atalanta and Siena, prosecutors said, which could put the two clubs' recent promotion back into Serie A at risk. There was a failed attempt to fix a Serie A match between then-European champion Inter Milan and Lecce at the San Siro in March, Cremona prosecutor Roberto Di Martino said. Inter won 1-0. In all, 18 matches — mostly in Serie B and C — are under investigation, and Italian football federation prosecutor Stefano Palazzi has already opened a sports inquiry into the matter. The revelations came amid a spate of betting scandals scattered throughout European football leagues, with the latest cases in Germany and Finland. Signori was the Lazio captain in the mid-1990s and led Serie A in scoring in three seasons. He also made 28 appearances for Italy from 1992-95, scoring seven goals. Owen extends United contract Michael Owen has extended his contract with Manchester United for another season. The former England striker has been used mostly as a substitute in his two years with United and his contract expired after this season. Owen was on the bench as Javier Hernandez and Wayne Rooney became United's preferred forward partnership but manager Alex Ferguson says “we will look to give him more opportunities in the new season.” The 31-year-old Owen joined on a free transfer in July 2009 after a career with Liverpool, Real Madrid and Newcastle. He has scored 14 goals in 48 appearances for United, finally clinching his first Premier League winners' medal this season. Portsmouth changes hands Portsmouth has changed hands again after the English club was bought by a sports group controlled by Russian businessman Vladimir Antonov. Portsmouth said in a statement that Convers Sports Initiatives bought 100 percent of shares in the south-coast club, with the takeover approved by the Football League. Antonov said CSI held negotiations with several teams but “ultimately selected Portsmouth Football Club because of its history.”
