The Italian Football Federation, whose president Franco Carraro resigned earlier this week following initial reports of the match-fixing scandal that is now rocking the Italian football world, has received a fresh blow.

On Friday, it has been reported by Italy’s Gazzetta Dello Sport, that Italy head coach Marcello Lippi was influenced by Juventus’ General Director Luciano Moggi - who is now under investigation in Rome and Naples for allegedly trying to influence refereeing assignments - as to which team the Azzurri head coach would field in one of their international matches.

It has been said that the President of the Italian Football Federation, Franco Carraro spoke to Moggi, so that Moggi could influence Lippi into choosing certain players for international matches over others.

It is said that a telephone call on October 12, 2004, between Carraro and Moggi was taped, in which Carraro asked the Juventus chief to influence Lippi’s decision in the choice of of certain players over others, and to ensure that both Roma’s Totti and AC Milan’s Gilardino would be chosen to represent the Azzurri in the match between Italy and Belarus the following day.

(UPDATE TO FOLLOW)

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