Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon has spoken about his anger following rumours that he is involved in the match-fixing scandal gripping Italy.

The rumours were sparked by something he said previously when talking about teams playing for a draw when the result suits them both.

Buffon was speaking out in support of his Juventus coach Antonio Conte, who is under investigation for match-fixing related to his time as Siena coach last season.

Buffon defended teams settling for certain results when that’s all they need. It led to a suggestion that he had made a deliberate mistake in Juve’s third from last game of the season in which his gaffe led to a late equalising goal for Lecce.

“If it’s true the investigators want to talk to me then you should tell me,” Buffon told journalists yesterday.

“You always know these things first... actually, before those involved.”

Buffon was alluding to the fact that the Italian press were aware of the pre-dawn raid on Italy’s base by police on Monday in which a search warrant was issued against full-back Domenico Criscito.

Nineteen people were arrested in co-ordinated raids up and down the country and yet the local press seemed to have word of them before they happened.

Buffon described that as “shameful” but what has really upset him is his own credibility being called into question.

“If a person becomes so crazy, as has happened, that people can think that the mistake I made against Lecce was because I had bet on the match then there’s nothing left to say, these are accusations that disarm you,” said a fuming Buffon.