The Italian cheaters - by Tommy Smith
JUST two years ago, the lid was lifted on the corruption in Italian football, with several of the top clubs involved.
That, to me, was no surprise.
There was corruption in Italian football 42 years ago – and Liverpool were the sufferers.
Anyone who knows me knows I deplore the name Inter Milan.
What happened in that second leg of the European Cup semi final in the San Siro left me feeling cheated – and I still feel cheated, even today.
We had won the first leg 3-1, but the return proved a nightmare, with the Spanish referee at the centre of the controversy.
Milan “scored” from an indirect free kick, which was allowed to stand, goalkeeper Tommy Lawrence had the ball kicked out of his hands for their second, and then we scored a legitimately good goal, only for it to be ruled offside. Then they scored a third to seal it.
But the Italians didn’t win it – the referee won it for them – and the only surprise was that they didn’t carry him off shoulder high at the end.
The official never refereed again and disappeared into retirement on the Spanish coast, no doubt in luxury. I wonder why?
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