NAPLES (Italy), Oct 4: Former Juventus general manager Luciano Moggi was among 25 people sent to criminal trial on Friday for their alleged role in Italy’s 2006 match-fixing scandal.

Moggi could face prison if found guilty after a judge at a Naples preliminary hearing decided prosecutors had presented enough evidence to warrant a trial.

Lazio President Claudio Lotito, Reggina President Pasquale Foti and Fiorentina honorary president Diego Della Valle are also among the accused along with a number of club directors and former match and federation officials. The trial will start in January.

Franco Carraro, the ex-president of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), has been cleared of the charges against him along with another former federation director.

Italian media reported that 10 others accused had opted for a separate fast-track procedure.

Moggi was banned from football for five years after being found guilty at a 2006 sporting trial for being at the centre of attempts to procure favourable officials to influence results in 2004-2005.

Juventus were stripped of their 2005 and 2006 Serie A titles and relegated to Serie B.

AC Milan, Fiorentina, Lazio, Reggina and Arezzo suffered points deductions because of their involvement in the latest of a number of match-rigging incidents in Italy in the past 25 years.

Juventus achieved immediate promotion from the second division and returned to the Champions League this season after a third-place finish in Serie A last term, having managed to retain a loyal fan base and some of their best players.

Moggi is also one of six men accused of fostering unfair competition through the use of threats or violence as part of Italy’s Gea World sports agency in a separate trial in Rome.

Moggi’s son Alessandro and Davide Lippi, the son of Italy coach Marcello, are among the defendants.—Reuters