Carraro was born on 6 December 1939 in Padua, at the time Kingdom of Italy. He worked in many high-profile roles in the public and private sectors. He was the president of the Italian Waterski Federation [it] from 1962 to 1976. That was followed by the presidency of Italian association football club Milan from 1967 to 1971.[1]
In the 1970s, Carraro worked in the Italian Football Federation (FIGC). He was president of Italy's top two football leagues, Serie A and Serie B, from 1973 to 1976, and was president of the FIGC from 1976 to 1978. On 19 May 1978, he resigned to become president of the Italian National Olympic Committee (Italian: Comitato Olimpico Nazionale Italiano, CONI), a role he held until 1987. From 1982 to 2019, Carraro was a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC); per IOC policy, namely an age-limit fixed at 70 years old, except for members between 1966 and 1999, for whom the age limit is 80, Carraro retired in 2019 but remains an honorary member.[2][3]
The 1986 Italian football betting scandal, referred to as Totonero or Totonero bis, created a vacancy that Carraro would accept as the FIGC commissioner from 1986 to 1987. The presidency would follow that of the Italia 90 Committee, the executive committee of the 1990 FIFA World Cup. In 1994, he became president of Impregilo, the biggest pole of Italian construction.[4][5] He was president of the FIGC from 1997 to 2001. He was reelected as president of the FIGC in 2001 and remained in this position until 2006. He was also a member of the UEFA executive board from 2004 to 2009.[6][7]
After Maurizio Beretta [it] left the Lega Serie A presidency to work for UniCredit in 2011, Carraro was thought as a possible successor in what would be his first football role since Calciopoli. He was immediately opposed by smaller Serie A clubs.[8] A return to the presidency of the Major Risks Commission under then-FIGC president Carlo Tavecchio was rumoured in 2015. Nicknamed poltronissimo for the many positions held in his career, Carraro was described by journalist Franco Rossi [it] thusly: "In the whole world, after Fidel Castro, Carraro is the person who has been in power the longest."[9] In 2021, he was reelected president of the Paralympic and Experimental Football Division [it]'s board of directors.[10]
Sport scandals and controversies
In 2001, the year he was elected FIGC president,[11] Carraro refused to put Inter Milan on trial for the Passaportopoli [it] scandal, which also involved other Serie A clubs. Lawyer Eduardo Chiacchio said: "In 2001 there was the scandal of false passports, above all that of Recoba. By the rules, Inter had to have a point-deduction for each match played with the Uruguayan player on the pitch. [Napoli president] Ferlaino asked me to take action because Moratti's Inter could be given 23 penalty points and so it was Inter and not Napoli which would be relegated."[12] As the 2000–01 Serie A was over, the decision was on Carraro, who did not want to put Inter on trial.[13] Chiacchio added that "Inter was saved because no one had the courage to appeal to justice. Calciopoli was just the tip of the iceberg."[14]
Carraro was president of Mediobanca, which was owned by Capitalia and was a major investor in Serie A clubs, particularly Lazio, Parma, and Roma;[15] Lazio and Roma went on to win the 2000 and 2001 Serie A leagues to Juventus' disadvantage. He was accused of conflict of interest, as he was co-owner of Lazio and Roma through his control of Capitalia, charges he dismissed.[16][17] In 2006, it emerged that Carraro was involved in Calciopoli, the 2006 Italian football scandal,[18][19][20] which led to his resignation;[21][22] he remained on the UEFA's executive committee and as a FIFA official.[23][24] He denied any wrongdoing and said he resigned in the interest of football.[25][nb 1] Charged of being part of a criminal association to steer the 2004–05 Serie A, he was acquitted in 2008.[27] In May 2009, he was acquitted of sporting fraud due to lack of evidence.[28][29]
In one telephone tapping ahead of the 2004–05 Serie A match between Inter Milan, which would benefit with the scudetto of the league at the time of the scandal but were later charged of Article 6 warrating relegation when it was time-barred by the statute of limitations,[30] and Juventus, the sole club to be controversially relegated to Serie B,[31][nb 2] Carraro asked referee designator Paolo Bergamo to avoid any favour for Juventus if in doubt.[nb 3] On the matchday, Bergamo told referee Pasquale Rodomonti [it] to favour Inter Milan when in doubt;[nb 4] the match, which ended 2–2, saw an error favouring Inter Milan.[36][nb 5] In his deposition,[nb 6] Carraro testified he said that because he was aware that any mistake, no matter if in good faith, favouring Juventus would cause controversy, whereas errors that disadvantaged or penalized Juventus would cause no controversy; he wanted to avoid controversy because the match came ahead of the Italian football elections.[37] In another intercepted phone call with Bergamo, Carraro declared that Fiorentina and Lazio must be helped to avoid their relegation to Serie B. His original prison sentence was 4 years and 6 months but was later replaced by a fine of €80,000,[38] which was controversial.[39][40][41]
In the 2010s, Carraro expressed his criticism of the scudetto awarded to Inter Milan, especially because, as he recalled, "a month later Rossi goes to be president of Telecom for the second time, whose largest shareholder is Marco Tronchetti Provera, vice-president of Inter."[42] He also said that Juventus were the best team and had legitimately won on the pitch.[43][44] In 2020, he stated that the only thing he blamed himself for Calciopoli was not having substituted Bergamo and Pierluigi Pairetto earlier with Pierluigi Collina as referee designator, and reiterated that Juventus would still have won had the scandal not happened because they were the best team.[45]
Carraro is the protagonist of Rome's ska-punk bank Banda Bassotti in the song "Carraro sindaco", whose text is used as criticism against him for the way he handles the city of Rome as mayor and for the possession of several houses donated to his buoi.[54][55]
Che bravo sindaco, quanta civiltà. Con i manganelli amministra la città ... Carraro sindaco, non temere, non temere. Noi non vogliamo rubarti da mangiare. Vogliamo una casa per abitare con la luce e l'acqua come ce l'avete voi, cioè come ce l'hanno i segretari tuoi, i guardiaspalle tuoi, i poliziotti tuoi, i tuoi buoi![56]
— Italian refrain
What a good mayor, what a civilization. With batons he administers the city ... Mayor Carraro, fear not, fear not. We will not steal food. We want to live in a house with light and water as you have it, that is, as your secretaries, your bodyguards, your policemen, your cattle!
I remember that we have always respected the rules. There was only one exception in the summer of 2003 when we decided to expand the Serie B squad by forcing the regulatory procedures. It was a painful decision, "the lesser of two evils" given the climate that had arisen and of the indispensability of starting the championships on the scheduled dates. An extraordinary decision permitted by a state law and approved by CONI. Faced with a serious and painful affair such as the one that arises from the material sent to us by the Turin Public Prosecutor's Office and in the face of the developments that could arise from the ongoing investigations by the Rome and Naples Public Prosecutor's Offices, I do not think that the football world can afford that some insiders and some representatives of public opinion discuss the advisability of the Federal President continuing to exercise his functions. The commitments of the [Italian Football] Federation in the coming days and months are such and so many that a federal summit is needed in full capacity and concentrated on them.[26]
^The background context for the match goes back to three weeks before, when the Reggina–Juventus match saw two missed penalties and a regular goal annulled to Juventus' disadvantage. In response, Juventus managing director Luciano Moggi, who was later charged by the prosecution as part of the Calciopoli scandal of forming a criminal association with Carraro, among others, told in a phone call that he had closed the match's referee, Gianluca Paparesta, in the locker room as punishment, something that was later revealed to be Moggi's bravado and boastfulness; the court ruled that the event did not happen and the charge of kidnapping was dismissed. Paparesta was one of the referees available for the match's grid, which were selected through a draft, along with Paolo Bertini [it], Pierluigi Collina, Stefano Farina, and Pasquale Rodomonti [it]. Heading into the match, Inter Milan chairman Giacinto Facchetti had phone conversations with members of the refereeing world. Facchetti called referee assistant designator Gennaro Mazzei on 25 November, and expressed doubts about Bertini and his preference for Collina as referee for the match in a call with Paolo Bergamo, manager and designator of referees, on 26 November, two days before the match. In addition, there were Lega Calcio elections the day after the match.[32]
Carraro: Who's there, at Juventus... Bergamo: Rodomonti... Inter–Juventus... Carraro: Please that he doesn't help Juventus, for God's sake, which is a very delicate match in a very delicate moment in Lega [Calcio], etc., for God's sake, that he doesn't help Juventus, that he lets them play an honest match for heaven's sake, but that he doesn't make mistakes in favour of Juventus please... Bergamo: ... don't worry, I'll talk to him tomorrow morning when he trains so that his head stays fresh Carraro: He has to referee the match correctly but that he doesn't make mistakes for goodness sake in favour of Juventus because otherwise it would be a disaster, in short Bergamo: In any case, he hasn't refereed Juventus for a long time, doctor, we put him in precisely because it's been two-three years, so no, no... he was one of those who... Carraro: Look, I'm not interested, in the sense that... if Collina was there, even if he made a mistake, no one says shit but... Rodomonti, if he makes a mistake in favour of Juventus, God's wrath ensues, since then there's... since keep in mind that it is played on Sunday evening, on Monday there is the election of Lega [Calcio] etc ... it would be disastrous stuff, in short... Bergamo: It is my concern to talk to him tomorrow, doctor Carraro: All right, don't forget, thank you, goodbye
About this phone call, the motivations of the first instance sentence of the ordinary judgment read: "We have also already mentioned the lack of sense of responsibility shown [by Bergamo] ... as well as the submissive behavior shown by Bergamo by telephone on 26/11/04 with Carraro, who suggested him that he gives the absurd suggestion to the referee not to make a mistake in favour of one team, a suggestion which, if sent to the referee, could also have been interpreted as a message to favour the other team."[32]
Bergamo: Don't forget Pasquale because you struggled to get there, to return there, and therefore I expect, believe me, that you won't miss anything, nothing, for anyone... Rodomonti: I'm immensely pleased with what you said because it's the truth Bergamo: Above all, there's a difference between the teams of 15 points, understood, so also prepare well psychologically... you must not question the efforts you've endured... so referee your match, there is none for anyone, so... if I tell you mine right now if you have a doubt think more about who is behind rather than who is in front Rodomonti: All right, all right Bergamo: Listen to me, it's something that remains between you and me... Rodomonti: On my word, thank you, don't worry Bergamo: Because getting up there you know how tiring it is, going back down... it would be really stupid for you... Rodomonti: All right Bergamo: Be an intelligent person... it stays between you and me, I hope Rodomonti: Don't worry
A few minutes later, Bergamo contacted the FIGC's secretary Maria Grazia Fazi to inform her that he has spoken to Rodomonti, telling her "the matter is not clear, [it is] more than clear... more than clear." While the phone call involving Carraro was present in the investigative reports of the Carabinieri, the one involving Bergamo and Rodomonti was not contained in any report and was made public, among many others as part of the Calciopoli bis developments in the 2010s,[33][34] by Moggi's defence.[32] It was first listened in a Gold TV broadcast on 14 April 2010.[35]
Collina: Paolo, hi, I was calling you back on your home number. Bergamo: Ah, you called me, yes indeed... Collina: ... well it seems to me, apart from that, how does Toldo seem to you? In my opinion it was full red, really full red [card]... but you know I understand that it's not easy, but it seems to me good for the rest Bergamo: The other episode, that of Adriano is nothing because he pushed first... Collina: No, there's nothing, he was right to whistle like that too... now let's hope that whoever makes the comments later in the broadcasts... Bergamo: In fact, Gigi called me... because he immediately gets scared, however... let's wait for the comments, in short, because we'll talk to each other as best we believe, in conclusion... Collina: Yes, no it's red there, it's full red there, it's really full red
In an interview to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Bergamo defended Rodomonti's choice of not having sent off the Inter Milan goalkeeper; in private, he disagreed. In a phone call with fellow referee designator Pierluigi Pairetto, he admitted that Toldo should have received a red card. In a phone call between Pairetto and referee Roberto Rosetti on 30 November, two days after the match, both agreed that Rodomonti had made a mistake.[32]
PM: Mr. Carraro, would you comment on the phone call? This is my question. Carraro: The logic of my phone call is simple, Collina as referee was a referee considered by everyone above the parties, and considered among the best referees in the world, when Collina made a mistake everyone assumed good faith, when a referee like Rodomonti refereed, that he was certainly a good referee but not with the external "credibility" of a Collina, with the fame, with the reputation of Collina, every error was considered almost as the result of something that was not accidental, or that could not be accidental, so I say "don't forget, it's a very delicate match." The following day there was the election of the president of Lega calcio, which is an election that didn't concern me directly, but since all the clubs would have met the day after for this election, if the outcome of the Juventus–Inter match had it been an outcome in which a referee error had been decisive, according to public opinion, in the result of the match itself, the controversies would have multiplied by 6.28 because all the presidents would have been questioned, each one would have had his say, etc. etc. this was the spirit of my phone call. PM: So, according to your assessment, the one you express clearly in the conversation with Bergamo, instead you absolutely didn't take into consideration that Rodomonti could indeed make mistakes during the match but in favour of the other team, Inter? Carraro: A referee can always make mistakes, the more important a match is, the more delicate it is, the more it is followed by the public, the more the referee's mistake occurs, especially in Italy because abroad it is not like that, [so] emphasized. I repeat, Collina at that time had a national and international prestige which meant that, even if he was wrong, public opinion accepted the mistake. One is a very reputed chef, he makes a wrong dish, people say 'oh well, it means he just made a mistake.' Rodomonti is a lower-level chef, despite being an excellent chef, if he makes a mistake people say 'then this guy is incapable', or 'he wanted to cook not well', this is the meaning of my call. President Casoria: But the public prosecutor asked why you were worried that Rodomonti made mistakes in favour of Juventus and not Inter? PM: Why didn't you worry about him not making mistakes absolutely? Carraro: Because the media, in general, of the time, written press, radio, television... in general public opinion, Juventus was a "very powerful" club, [while] Inter was considered, at that time, less authoritative in terms of sport politics, for which an error in favour of Inter was considered a mistake, an error in favour of Juventus would have led to a reaction of public opinion. This is what it seemed to me to be, because I always talk about my personal feelings.
At the time, this phone call involving Carraro was read and understood by the investigators in a colpevolisti ("guilty") stance, namely that even Carraro, as the FIGC president, was aware of a criminal association to fix matches, a charge by the prosecution that Carraro rejected in his deposition, and instead discussed of an unequal treatment in media reactions to Juventus' disadvantage.[32]
^Doidge, Mark (16 July 2015). "Scandal". Football Italia: Italian Football in an Age of Globalization (illustrated ed.). London: Bloomsbury Academic. p. 72. ISBN978-1-4725-1919-1. Retrieved 8 February 2023 – via Google Books. The former president of the FIGC, Franco Carraro, was a former Mayor of Rome, deputy for the PSI and Tourism Minister in the 1980s. He was also president of MCC, a merchant bank owned by Capitalia. This bank was the major investor in a number of Serie A clubs, in particular, Roma, Parma and Lazio. The financial underwriting of Capitalia permitted a number of clubs to operate despite accruing considerable debt. The president of the FIGC is also overseer of Covisoc, the financial regulator for the league. In this position the president has a duty to maintain the financial probity and integrity of the league. However, this was compromised through Carraro's involvement with an organization that underwrites certain clubs' debts. Consequently, patrimonial networks are entrenched in a small number of dense family and personal connections.
^"Palazzi: 'Per l'Inter era illecito sportivo'". Corriere dello Sport (in Italian). 4 July 2011. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 30 January 2023. Inter, which were awarded the 2006 league revoked from Juventus, violated Article 6 of the Sports Justice Code, the one about illicits. This is the conviction expressed by the [FIGC's] federal prosecutor, Stefano Palazzi, in the conclusions attached to the device on the open investigation 'as soon as we have received news of the new facts that have emerged and therefore before the complaint presented by Juventus ... The facts are lapsed, but the statute of limitations can be waived', confirms the federal prosecutor.
^Ingram, Sam (20 December 2021). "Calciopoli Scandal: Referee Designators As Desired Pawns". ZicoBall. Archived from the original on 10 December 2022. Retrieved 29 January 2023. FIGC's actions in relegating Juventus and handing the title to Inter Milan were somewhat peculiar. Of course, Moggi and Juventus deserved punishment; that is not up for dispute. However, the severity of the ruling and the new location for the Scudetto was unprecedented and arguably should never have happened. The final ruling in the Calciopoli years later judged that Juventus had never breached article 6. As a result, the Serie A champions should never have encountered a shock 1–1 draw away to Rimini in the season's curtain-raiser. Nor should they have trounced Piacenza 4–0 in Turin or handed a 5–1 thrashing away to Arezzo in Tuscany. The findings stated that some club officials had violated article 6, but none had originated from Juventus. FIGC created a structured article violation with their decision-making. This means that instead of finding an article 6 breach, several article 1 violations were pieced together to create evidence damning to warrant relegation from Italy's top flight. Article 1 violations in Italian football usually command fines, bans, or points deductions, but certainly not relegation.
^ abcdefghiArpino, Felix (29 January 2018), "Calciopoli: l'imputazione che non c'è", Il calcio è uguale per tutti (in Italian).
^Arpino, Felix (29 January 2018), "Calciopoli: l'imputazione che non c'è", Il calcio è uguale per tutti (in Italian), After the match there are two other interesting telephone interceptions. One between Bergamo and Collina, the other between Pairetto and Rosetti. All four agree on the fact that on the episode of [Juventus'] Zalayeta's penalty it would have been more appropriate to send [Inter Milan goalkeeper] Toldo off, rather than warn him, as Rodomonti did instead. Perhaps the referee remembered what Bergamo said to him: if you have a doubt... think more about who is behind [Inter Milan] rather than who is in front... [Juventus] ... .
^Arpino, Felix (29 January 2018), "Calciopoli: l'imputazione che non c'è", Il calcio è uguale per tutti (in Italian), ... Carraro underlines that the match must be regular and correct but repeats several times that it is essential, due to the imminent votes in Lega Calcio, that there are no refereeing errors in favour of Juventus. It was therefore important, in order for 'ally' Galliani to be elected in Lega [Calcio], to avoid post-match controversies that could have undermined the serenity of the election. Carraro makes these recommendations to Bergamo because he knows that Juventus was being helped (and was therefore aware of the criminal association that would steer the league) or, instead, because he was aware of the different media reaction that occurs following an error [favouring] Juventus? ... The meaning of the phone call was then explained by Carraro himself, [and] aimed at avoiding the possibility that there could be problems of a media nature (problems which, according to the federal president, would have occurred only in the case of favouritism to Juve while in the case of aid to Inter there would have been no relevant media reaction, precisely because of that unequal treatment which, in my opinion, is perceptible even today). If Carraro had been aware of Moggi's criminal association or of a bias of Rodomonti, he could and should have (he was under oath) said so, instead he speaks of something else altogether.
^Olivaro, Stefano (12 November 2009). "Perché non si parla di Carraro". Indiscreto (in Italian). Archived from the original on 10 December 2022. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
Maida, Enrico (2002). "Carraro, Franco". Enciclopedia dello Sport (in Italian). Archived from the original on 30 January 2023. Retrieved 30 January 2023 – via Treccani.
