Football: Bonucci escapes axe despite fixing probe

Juventus defender Leonardo Bonucci escaped exclusion as he was named in Italy’s final Euro 2012 squad despite being mentioned in the latest match-fixing fiasco that engulfed the country. Bonucci is expected to undergo scrutiny by Cremona prosecutors as part of an investigation carried out with regards to his time as a Bari player in the 2009-10 campaign. He is not under any formal investigation at this stage and has denied any illegal involvements, according to The Guardian. The news came out as a surprise, especially after Italy omitted the Zenit St Petersburg defender Domenico Criscito from the squad, after he was questioned by police as part of the same investigation.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 30^th, 2012.