Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Juventus general manager critical after 'suicide attempt'

Frank Dunne
Wednesday 28 June 2006 00:33 BST
Comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Italian football fans were in shock yesterday at the apparent attempted suicide of Gianluca Pessotto, the team manager of Juventus, the football club embroiled in the biggest scandal in the country's sporting history.

Mr Pessotto fell about 15 metres from an attic window of the club's Turin headquarters into an internal courtyard. He was found by colleagues clutching rosary beads in his hands, having left his car keys and mobile phone on the window ledge.

He was treated for multiple fractures and internal haemorrhaging. His condition was later described as grave but stable.

Romy Gai, the commercial director of the Serie A club, who visited Mr Pessotto in hospital, said nobody had any idea what had happened. Mr Pessotto, 35, was apparently being treated for depression linked to personal problems. Juventus players in the Italian World Cup squad were expected to fly back from Germany to Turin to visit him. The Italian captain, Fabio Cannavaro, said he was devastated by the news.

Juventus have recently been at the centre of a huge match-fixing scandal that has rocked Italian football, but Mr Pessotto has not been implicated in any way.

The club's former managing director Antonio Giraudo and its former sporting director Luciano Moggi are under criminal investigation for "sporting fraud", for allegedly controlling a network of referees in order to guarantee favourable results.

In a related investigation by the Italian Football Association, the club faces demotion to the second division and could be stripped of its two most recent league titles.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in