On Friday it was reported, and confirmed by CBS' James Benge that the Premier League believe they have won their case relating to breaches of their financial regulations by Manchester City, though penalties for the violations have yet to be determined. While we're still yet to hear what that would mean for City, there are now an incredibly wide range of possibilities on the table, from fines to points deductions, past titles being stripped and even potentially relegation to the English Championship or below. This is a historic moment for the Premier League, but it's not the first time a high-profile team like this has been faced with the potential fallout from a massive scandal.
The summer of 2006 was one of the strangest moments in the history of Italian soccer. While 60 million Italian fans were celebrating the 2006 World Cup after beating France on penalties, millions were also dramatically following the latest news on the Calciopoli scandal. More than anyone else, Juventus players and fans were waiting to hear what was about to become a historic decision: Juventus were relegated to the second division, while their 2004–2005 and 2005–2006 Serie A titles were stripped of them.
It's a sobering memory for Manchester City fans as they wait to hear their fate. Calciopoli was a big thunderstorm that affected Italian soccer and some of the biggest clubs in the summer of 2006, a few weeks before Italy won the 2006 World Cup against France in the Berlin final. Juventus were the biggest club involved as the Bianconeri were later relegated to the Italian second division after proof emerged of clubs who were selecting favorable referees for their own matches.
Juventus saw their 2004-05 and 2005-06 titles stripped as a result while the 2005-2006 title was awarded to Inter. AC Milan, Fiorentina, Lazio, and multiple referees and club officials faced sanctions, but Juventus were by far the most affected side, as their head of soccer Luciano Moggi was banned and considered the mastermind behind the scandal. The Calciopoli scandal erupted in May 2006, a few days before the last matchday of the season, which became surreal.
While Juventus players celebrated their Scudetto victory on the pitch, the media was spreading the latest rumours and leaks on the scandal involving referees, Moggi and more Juventus officials. Some even questioned the presence of the Italian national team at the 2006 World Cup, as it was headed by a former Juventus coach, Marcello Lippi and there were five Juventus players in the team: Gianluigi Buffon, Fabio Cannavaro, Gianluca Zambrotta, Mauro Camoranesi and Alessandro Del Piero. After the summer tournament, there were multiple changes in the roster.
Some of the Juventus key players left the team, such as Fabio Cannavaro who joined Real Madrid, but two transfers ended up being the most controversial. That summer, both Patrick Vieira and Zlatan Ibrahimovic moved from Juventus to Inter, leaving the club at the centre of the scandal to join the team that had been awarded the vacated title. Their transfers further fuelled criticism and resentment among Juventus supporters, which became even bigger from that moment on.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
