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Clara's Column: "Compared to the controversial refereeing decisions in Real Madrid and Arsenal's Champions League matches, people should really be paying more attention to Serie A."
"Especially the misjudgments—or so-called controversial calls—made by referees."
"Juventus, AC Milan, Lazio, Fiorentina… these clubs have all been involved in multiple referee errors over the past two Serie A seasons."
Everyone knew Clara was Su Hang's personal reporter.
So her obvious attempt to defend Real Madrid didn't sit well with the public.
She even tried to drag Serie A—the world's top league—into the mud.
It was laughable.
But just a few days later, La Gazzetta dello Sport unexpectedly responded to Clara's claims.
The newspaper published transcripts of phone conversations between Juventus general manager Moggi and Serie A referees from recent years.
The key focus was on calls between Moggi and Pairetto, a referee who had officiated in Serie A for six seasons since 2004.
It's important to note that La Gazzetta dello Sport is a major outlet, and they were reporting on domestic football.
They would never make such serious accusations without solid evidence.
It was as if Clara's words had become prophetic.
Serie A really might be in trouble!
Juventus had dominated the league for three consecutive years, starting from 2004 through the current season.
If those championships were tainted, it would send shockwaves through all of Italian football.
And did they act alone?
If Juventus was involved, were other clubs guilty as well?
Questions flooded in at once, overshadowing anticipation for any upcoming matches.
Strangely enough, the usually outspoken football media fell completely silent this time.
They either ignored the Calciopoli scandal or issued vague statements claiming that "further investigation was needed."
So much for journalistic integrity—it was in shambles.
Or perhaps, because every league had its own skeletons, no one dared to throw stones at Serie A.
...
May 7th, La Liga Matchday 37.
Real Madrid hosted Mallorca.
Cassano and Robinho started.
Raúl made his return, coming off the bench.
Su Hang sat among the substitutes and didn't play.
Earlier that day, his team had informed him that his fitness had completely collapsed and he needed extensive rest.
Forcing himself onto the pitch now would only risk injury.
Su Hang followed their advice—after all, the World Cup was just around the corner.
As a star striker highly likely to be called up by the Spanish national team, he couldn't afford to miss the tournament.
Missing it would mean waiting another four years.
In the end, Real Madrid comfortably defeated Mallorca.
They lifted the La Liga trophy once again—a rare successful title defense in recent years.
Two straight seasons of dominance.
Last year, they overtook Barcelona in the final round; this year, they sealed the title in the 37th.
A clear sign of progress.
This was also the second time the Galácticos achieved the Double.
But they weren't done yet—because the Champions League final was still to come!
Real Madrid fans roared "Treble!" as they flooded Plaza de la Cibeles to celebrate.
Of course, that "treble" didn't include the Supercopa de España from the start of the season—
it was all about the Champions League!
Major media outlets quickly shifted focus to the Galácticos' incredible run.
And once they started tallying the numbers, they were stunned.
"Real Madrid clinch title with one game remaining—three trophies this season!"
"Record-Breaking Year! The Galácticos' most glorious season yet—poised to become the first treble winners of the new millennium!"
"After Copa del Rey and La Liga, Real Madrid now aim for European glory! This could be their legendary season!"
"New managers, injuries—nothing could stop the Galácticos' rise!"
"Real Madrid's Champions League curse continues! The team that beats them wins it all—but if no one can beat them, they'll claim the crown!"
"Years of patience finally pay off! The Galácticos' barren seasons were all building toward this European Treble!"
"From dominant yet trophyless to unstoppable champions—Real Madrid made one right choice: making Su Hang their captain!"
Praise!
Relentless praise!
Unrestrained, over-the-top praise!
Especially from the Italian press—none of them wanted to touch the Calciopoli scandal.
They went all-in on glorifying Real Madrid and Su Hang instead.
Then…
On May 8th, Italian Football Federation President Carraro resigned.
Vice President Mazzini followed soon after.
Prosecutors from Naples, Rome, Turin, and other cities launched investigations.
The Calciopoli scandal exploded.
On May 11th, Juventus released an official statement announcing the collective resignation of its board.
The next day, on May 12th, referee De Santis was disqualified from officiating at the World Cup.
And don't ask how referees like him even make it to the World Cup—the truth is, it's always those "excellent and obedient" ones who get selected.
That's just how the system works.
Meanwhile, the Calciopoli investigation deepened.
Rumors emerged that AC Milan and Fiorentina were also involved in match-fixing.
Even Buffon got caught up in a betting scandal.
From that point on, Serie A's news couldn't be suppressed anymore.
No amount of Real Madrid glory could shift the public's attention.
Or rather, the two stories existed in completely different news cycles.
Praising Real Madrid didn't stop the world from watching Serie A's collapse.
Yet, amidst it all, someone began spreading fabricated stories—a mix of truth and lies—to muddy the waters and divert attention.
On May 14th, the Serie A season came to an end.
Juventus defended their title once more.
General manager Moggi announced his retirement from football.
But the official investigation into him didn't stop there.
Later that same day, Italian Referees' Committee Chairman Zucchialanesi was also forced to step down.
In just ten days, Italian football was thrown into chaos—as if the world were ending.
And the only club that remained standing tall amidst the storm was none other than Inter Milan!
Their president, Massimo Moratti, posted on social media:
"One day, the world will know what Inter Milan has endured!"
The accompanying image read: "Sacred Alliance."
It referred to the alliance once formed by Juventus and AC Milan to maintain their duopoly—collaborating in every aspect to suppress their rivals, particularly Inter Milan, often blocking their access to top players.
Though the Sacred Alliance was mostly a thing of the last century and had faded from memory in the 2000s, the Calciopoli scandal undoubtedly carried its shadow.
At last, Inter's suffering was about to be known to the world.
Romelu Lukaku: No, your real suffering hasn't even begun yet.
...
(35 Chapters Ahead)
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