Masiello: Bonucci was open to influencing Udinese - Bari fixture

Posted Sunday, June 03, 2012 by Goal.com

Andrea Masiello has implicated Juventus defender Leonardo Bonucci in the Scommessopoli gambling scandal that continues to rock Italian football, swearing under oath that his former Bari team-mate was prepared to fix the result of the clash against Udinese two years ago.

Answering questions from judge Giovanni Abbrescia, the current Atalanta player explained how several men from the Puglia club, including Bonucci, Salvatore Masiello and Alessandro Parisi, were interested in ensuring that the match in the 2009-10 season ended in a high-scoring draw.

However, Masiello did absolve Simone Pepe from involvement, stating that the winger had no interest in influencing the score.

"I went to the training field to talk with Bonucci, Belmonte, Parisi and Salvatore Masiello and present this thing. [Businessman Nicola] Di Tullo was prepared to start betting live and a draw would have paid out for us," the public hearing heard from Masiello.

"I said to [Bonucci] that as well as other partners Di Tullio was ready to give us some money, I don't know how much. He wanted to bet on the game live if it ended in a tie. He and his team-mates were in favour, he said 'you can tell him that we are interested'.

"In the practice Pepe was called, and he was asked if he was interested or not... Later when I was in the room Belmonte came back to me, and told me 'no, Pepe told me no.'"

Bonucci has appeared 14 times for the Italian national team, scoring twice.