Msida St Joseph vice president Robert Farrugia allegedly told an Italian national over the phone that Chinese gamblers wanted to kill his brother, according to transcripts published in Italy.
Mr Farrugia has been implicated, along with his brother Adrian, in a match-fixing ring that targeted games in the third and fourth tier levels of Italian football.
When contacted by Times of Malta yesterday, Mr Farrugia said he had nothing to say, before abruptly cutting off the conversation: “Listen, my friend, you are supposed to know everything... You are so intelligent [tant inti bravu]; all the time reporting the empty words [paroli fil-vojt] being said about us in Italy. You know everything. What do you want to ask me? Have the Italians stopped giving information and you are turning to us for it... I have nothing to say now...”
The operation, code-named Dirty Soccer, led to the arrest of various club presidents, coaches, players, club officials and financiers. The Italian police are alleging that the Farrugia brothers were among foreign nationals acting as financiers.
The transcript of a phone call intercepted by the Catanzaro police and published in the Italian press sheds light on the rough side of the illegal betting network.
In his alleged conversation with Felice Bellini, a former Italian director general of Vittoriosa Stars with past links to Gudja United and Qormi FC, Mr Farrugia allegedly laments the loss of €52,000 on the low-level match Aversa Normanna versus Barletta.
Barletta unexpectedly won and Mr Farrugia blamed team coach Ninni Corda, who was also arrested in the sting. It is alleged that Mr Farrugia told Mr Bellini the coach should refund the €52,000 lost on the match because Chinese gamblers were threatening his brother.
The transcript is the latest development in the scandal that has rocked Italian football. It also confirms the transnational aspect of match-fixing.
Sports Parliamentary Secretary Chris Agius said match-fixing had become “a scourge” on football.
“I was shocked to hear that people involved in Maltese football were implicated in this latest scandal to hit Italy,” he said, without entering into the merits of the case.
He said the government formed part of the anti-corruption task force set up by the Malta Football Association that was deciding the best way forward to tackle this phenomenon. The task force includes the Police Commissioner and the Opposition.
“We have to strengthen law enforcement and increase penalties but these alone will not solve the problem and in the commission we are also speaking of an educational campaign,” Mr Agius said, adding corruption was eroding football.
kurt.sansone@timesofmalta.com