Silver lining for Italian mid-table clubs

It may have been one of the murkier days in the history of Italian football but there were at least some winners emerging from the wreckage of the Serie A match-fixing scandal.

The attempts of Juventus, AC Milan, Fiorentina and Lazio to influence referees in the 2004-05 season have not only seen all but Milan relegated – the quartet have also lost their right to play in European competition in the forthcoming season.