FRANCO CARRARO, THE PRESIDENT OF THE ITALIAN FOOTBALL FEDERATION (FIGC), WEDNESDAY RESIGNED FROM HIS POST IN THE WAKE OF A REFEREE SCANDAL INVOLVING A TOP MANAGER OF SERIE A CHAMPIONS JUVENTUS, THE WEBSITE REPUBBLICA REPORT WAS CARRIED BY DPA. CARRARO REPORTEDLY TOOK HIS DECISION AFTER A MEETING WITH GIANNI PETRUCCI, THE PRESIDENT OF THE ITALIAN OLYMPIC COMMITTEE (CONI). ITALIAN FOOTBALL WAS ROCKED LATE LAST WEEK WHEN NEWSPAPERS PUBLISHED THE TRANSCRIPT OF TAPPED TELEPHONE CONVERSATIONS BETWEEN JUVE'S GENERAL MANAGER LUCIANO MOGGI AND INTERNATIONAL REFEREE SELECTOR PIERLUIGI PAIRETTO. ALSO INVOLVED IN THE TALKS RECORDED BY PUBLIC PROSECUTORS DURING THE 2004-2005 SEASON IS INNOCENZO MAZZINI, A HIGH-RANKING FIGC OFFICIAL. ACCORDING TO THE TRANSCRIPTS, MOGGI REPEATEDLY ASKED PAIRETTO TO NAME CERTAIN OFFICIALS FOR GAMES THAT JUVE WERE ABOUT TO PLAY, INCLUDING CHAMPIONS LEAGUE TIES, AND TALKED ABOUT VALUABLE GIFTS. THE RESIGNATION OF CARRARO HAD BEEN RUMOURED IN THE PAST DAYS AND OPENLY SUGGESTED BY COACHES LIKE FIORENTINA'S CESARE PRANDELLI, WHO SAID THE TOP FIGC MANAGERS SHOULD BE REMOVED, AND INTER MILAN ROBERTO MANCINI. IT APPEARS THAT FIGC KNEW ABOUT THE TAPPED CALLS, BUT FAILED TO ACT AS PUBLIC PROSECUTORS IN TURIN AD NAPLES CONTINUED THEIR INVESTIGATIONS AND FORWARDED THE RECORDINGS TO FIGC'S SPORT PROSECUTORS. CARRARO TOOK OFFICE IN DECEMBER 2001. HIS POST IS TO BE TAKEN BY VICE-PRESIDENT GIANCARLO ABETE. MOGGI HAS BEEN INDICTED FOR SPORT FRAUD IN NAPLES AND IS EXPECTED TO BE FIRED BY JUVE WHEN THE CLUB'S BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETS THURSDAY, ACCORDING TO DPA. -
