The Montreal Impact can breathe a sigh of relief. Italian forward Marco Di Vaio was one of six players acquitted Friday of charges stemming from theScommessopoli scandal that resulted in bans for dozens of players.
He tweeted in English, “Finally! I’m so happy! Now back with so much enthusiasm to my new adventure with my team theMontreal Impact! Thank you all for the support!”
Di Viao, who faced a one-year ban for failing to report what he knew about the fixing of the Bologna-Bari Serie A match in 2011, hadscored his first goal for the Impact on July 28 before leaving to stand trial. Other players acquitted included current Italian internationals Leonardo Bonucciand Simone Pepe.
Meanwhile, Lecce and Grosseto were demoted to Lega Pro, the third division of Italian football. In the latest penalties, sevenclubs were handed points penalties to start the 2012-13 season.