Summary: Phil and Anto are joined by world-recognized sports journalist and commentator Gabriele Marcotti to discuss some of the big stories in Italian football beginning with match fixing charges that have now been leveled at 44 individuals and 13 football clubs in an ongoing process that has both serious and confusing application given the nature of the allegations. Much of this now involves Antonio Conte at Juventus, who as manager faces some unclear consequences given the nature of the charges and whether he could receive a substantial ban from the Juventus bench for a number of months. We discuss the nature of the charges, the dubious quality of the persons who provided evidence and what the real world implications seem to suggest. This has all been done against a landscape where Europe legislates betting activity with unequal zeal and applies its laws and civil liberties differently. Even more important is just how pervasive sports betting is in Europe with respect to football and we consider whether more regulation or prohibition is a serious possibility. Then we turn to the matter of AC Milan who has begun wholesale changes to its club by releasing a large number of veteran players and then the sale of its two top assets in Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva to PSG in Ligue 1, and then to whether the longer term plan for the Rossoneri becomes compromised should the club ultimately negotiate for the return of Kaka to the fold. We evaluate what Milan has begun to do, some of the holes in the squad and what should be the approach going forward and if Milan will continue to approach this offseason with a degree of sanity over sentimentality. Lots here on strategy, whether there are problems for Antonio Cassano and if Carlos Tevez or Eden Dzeko could delay the development of a potential Pato and Stephan El Shaarawy partnership. Also in focus here is the excitement building at AS Roma with Zdenek Zeman and even more smart closed season purchases like Leandro Castan, Panagiotis Tachtsidis, Mattia Destro and Michael Bradley. Even more in focus here is Inter which has also pressed the reset switch in part under Andrea Stramaccioni with mixed reviews, whether comments of late by Mino Raiola on Edinson Cavani are a strange or worrying sign and whether the Robin Van Persie rumors to Juventus have finally come to a close given recent comments made by the Beppe Marotta and whether Manchester City seems poised to make a move once some of their strikers can be moved out of the club while facing their own Financial Fair Play concerns.
