Italy's Criscito to be questioned on match-fixing

ROME (AP) -- Italy defender Domenico Criscito will be questioned by the Italian soccer federation on July 16 for his alleged role in a match-fixing scandal.

Criscito was dropped from Italy's European Championship squad after police interrogated him at the national team's training headquarters shortly before the tournament. He plays for Zenit St. Petersburg and is suspected of alleged wrongdoing while at Genoa.

About 50 people have been arrested since last year in the investigation into the latest match-fixing scandal to hit Italy. Prosecutors in Cremona, Bari and Naples have detailed an extensive match-fixing ring stretching as far as Singapore and South America that was allegedly in operation for more than 10 years.

Also Friday, the Italian soccer federation upheld Pescara's appeal of its two-point penalty for fixing, instead reducing the club's punishment to a $37,000 fine. The decision means Pescara will start its first campaign back in Serie A level with the rest of the clubs.