Tax furore puts new cloud over Serie A

Rule one of Italian football is that whenever Italy are due to compete in a major tournament, a big scandal will break in the previous six months.

Based on their World Cup wins in 1982 and 2006, and their performance in Euro 2012, there is a theory a scandal could even be essential for Italy to do well, prompting the manager to circle the wagons and create an ‘us-against-them’ mentality.

If so, Antonio Conte will be offering a quiet vote of thanks to the prosecutors of Naples for the indictment of no fewer than 64 people for tax fraud in cases involving most of Italy’s top clubs, 35 in all.