Three hardcore “ultra” fans of Italian Serie B side Bari were arrested Thursday after being accused of threatening their own players with violence if they did not deliberately lose games. The trio of ultra bosses have been accused of trying to make their players lose at least three matches during last season, when the Puglian club was in Serie A, allegedly in order to earn large sums of money through bets placed on Bari losing. The matches being looked into are: Bari vs. Sampdoria (23 April 23, 2011, 1-0 to Sampdoria); Cesena vs. Bari (April 17, 2011, 1-0 to Cesena); and Bari vs. Chievo (March 20, 2011, 2-1 to Chievo). However, according to testimony from former Bari goalkeeper Jean Francois Gillet, now at Bologna, and defender Marco Rossi, now at Cesena, the players apparently refused to carry out their demands. The arrests come as part of the recent “calcioscommesse” scandal, in which 61 people and 22 clubs are being investigated as part of a probe into betting rings influencing the results of football matches. The names, which include Serie A sides Atalanta, Siena and the now-relegated Novara, were released Wednesday by federal prosecutor Stefano Palazzi, who is leading the investigation. Former Atalanta captain Cristiano Doni and former Lazio striker Giuseppe Signori are among the big names to have been arrested over the last year. In April, former Bari defender Andrea Masiello was arrested in connection with alleged match-fixing in Serie A last season. Eight of Masiello's teammates from Bari last season were also being investigated by police over the possible manipulation of matches. The clubs have been referred to the Italian federation's (FIGC) disciplinary committee following investigations by magistrates in the northern city of Cremona which began in December. Italian media reported that there is likely to be a huge sports trial in the next few months. Atalanta began this season with minus six points after it was among 17 clubs to have points deducted last August over match-fixing. Juventus, which won this season's Serie A title Sunday, was demoted to Serie B in 2006 because of match-fixing and was stripped of its 2005 and 2006 Serie A titles.
