The former heads of Perugia's
prestigious University for Foreigners were indicted Tuesday over
a "sham" Italian-language exam soccer player Luis Suarez did
there in September 2020 amid a soon to be aborted move to Turin
giants Juventus.
Those sent to trial include the former dean of the university,
Giuliana Grego Bolli, and the former director general, Simone
Olivieri.
A teacher, Stefania Spina, who headed the institute's centre for
linguistic assessment and certification, was also indicted.
Juventus lawyer Maria Cesarina Turco was cleared.
The examiner who did the test, done in view of the move to
Juve which subsequently fell through, plea-bargained a
one-year suspended jail term for fraud in February.
Veteran Uruguay star Suarez went from Barca to Atletico Madrid
after the Juve deal collapsed.
The language exam, in which he was fed the answers, was needed
for him to qualify for Italian citizenship and thus join the
roster of the Turin giants without adding to their roll of
overseas players, which was already full.
The case has been a source of major embarrassment for the
famed Perugia institute, as well as for Juve.
Juve signed Real Madrid's Alvaro Morata instead of Suarez,
joining Cristiano Ronaldo up front.
Both players have since left the club, Ronaldo for Man Utd last
year and Morata recently returning to Atletico.
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