Chelsea's crucial Premier League run-in looks set to be hindered as manager Carlo Ancelotti will have to return to Italy to give evidence in a court case.
The 50-year-old has been summoned by judges presiding over the criminal trial into Italian football's 2006 match-fixing scandal, Calciopoli, to give evidence from his time as AC Milan manager.
Ancelotti has been asked to attend the next hearing, which is set for April 20 in Naples.
Chelsea are scheduled to face Tottenham Hotspur on April 17, before Stoke City visit Stamford Bridge on the April 25. If the hearing goes ahead as scheduled, Ancelotti would almost certainly have to miss a number of training sessions between the two games — an unwelcome distraction as he aims to guide his side to a first title since 2006 and first double in the club's history.
The Italian has already missed one court summons this season, excusing himself in October as the Blues had an away game against Bolton Wanderers on the same day.
But Chelsea head of communications, Steve Atkins, confirmed to Goal.com UK that Ancelotti will definitely be attending on Tuesday, although he was not yet sure for how long the coach would be away from the club.
Ancelotti is not accused of any wrong-doing in the case, although his club AC Milan were deducted points for their part in the scandal which saw Juventus stripped of two league titles and demoted to Serie B.
He has been called to give his version on Tuesday's revelations, which revealed that club vice-president Adriano Galliani was aware of former Milan director Leonardo Meani's influential relationship with former referee chief Pierluigi Pairetto.
Galliani had previously declared under oath that he was unaware of Meani's conversations with referees — which helped the Rossoneri avoid greater punishment four years ago — but the court heard recordings of Galliani speaking with another referee chief, Paulo Bergamo.
That was one of a number of stirs Juve's controversial former director, Luciano Moggi, caused at Tuesday's hearing as he continues to attempt to clear his name. His lawyers presented new evidence, including 171,000 phone calls missing from the original trial, in an attempt to prove he never had an "exclusive relationship" with the referee designators he was found guilty of controlling.
His lawyers presented wiretap evidence that they suggested implicated the previously untarnished Inter — who were awarded Juve's lost titles — in the scandal, with then-Nerazzurri president Giacinto Facchetti heard speaking to various referee designators.
Under cross-examination, 2006 chief investigator Colonel Auricchio could not explain why the calls were not included in the original trial. There is speculation that Inter may now face punishment if these latest revelations are proven to be true.
The 50-year-old has been summoned by judges presiding over the criminal trial into Italian football's 2006 match-fixing scandal, Calciopoli, to give evidence from his time as AC Milan manager.
Ancelotti has been asked to attend the next hearing, which is set for April 20 in Naples.
Chelsea are scheduled to face Tottenham Hotspur on April 17, before Stoke City visit Stamford Bridge on the April 25. If the hearing goes ahead as scheduled, Ancelotti would almost certainly have to miss a number of training sessions between the two games — an unwelcome distraction as he aims to guide his side to a first title since 2006 and first double in the club's history.
The Italian has already missed one court summons this season, excusing himself in October as the Blues had an away game against Bolton Wanderers on the same day.
But Chelsea head of communications, Steve Atkins, confirmed to Goal.com UK that Ancelotti will definitely be attending on Tuesday, although he was not yet sure for how long the coach would be away from the club.
Ancelotti is not accused of any wrong-doing in the case, although his club AC Milan were deducted points for their part in the scandal which saw Juventus stripped of two league titles and demoted to Serie B.
He has been called to give his version on Tuesday's revelations, which revealed that club vice-president Adriano Galliani was aware of former Milan director Leonardo Meani's influential relationship with former referee chief Pierluigi Pairetto.
Galliani had previously declared under oath that he was unaware of Meani's conversations with referees — which helped the Rossoneri avoid greater punishment four years ago — but the court heard recordings of Galliani speaking with another referee chief, Paulo Bergamo.
That was one of a number of stirs Juve's controversial former director, Luciano Moggi, caused at Tuesday's hearing as he continues to attempt to clear his name. His lawyers presented new evidence, including 171,000 phone calls missing from the original trial, in an attempt to prove he never had an "exclusive relationship" with the referee designators he was found guilty of controlling.
His lawyers presented wiretap evidence that they suggested implicated the previously untarnished Inter — who were awarded Juve's lost titles — in the scandal, with then-Nerazzurri president Giacinto Facchetti heard speaking to various referee designators.
Under cross-examination, 2006 chief investigator Colonel Auricchio could not explain why the calls were not included in the original trial. There is speculation that Inter may now face punishment if these latest revelations are proven to be true.
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