[1] Notably, Paolo Rossi was suspended for three years (reduced to two on appeal),[2] and upon his return helped Italy in their successful 1982 FIFA World Cup campaign.
For fans to win, they needed to correctly pick the outcome of 13 games, making it virtually impossible for the pool to be fixed since so many matches were involved.
The restaurant was a popular spot for many Lazio players, who agreed to fix matches in exchange for a cut of the money.
However, many of the games did not end as planned, and Trinca and Cruciani reportedly lost over 100 million lire by February 1980 (worth around US$117,000 in 1980 dollars or over US$400,000 in 2022).
On 23 March, the Guardia di Finanza arrested 13 players as well as Milan president Felice Colombo immediately after the final whistle of that day's matches.