Italy’s Iaquinta jailed over arms, mafia links

MILAN: Former Juventus and Italy forward Vincenzo Iaquinta was jailed for two years by an Italian court on Wednesday for firearms possession and links with the Calabrian mafia.

Prosecutors had sought a six-year sentence for the 38-year-old, who was part of Italy’s 2006 World Cup-winning squad, for holding firearms and his links with the Ndrangheta mafia group. Iaquinta’s father Giuseppe was jailed for 19 years as the pair were among 148 individuals tried in the largest investigation into mafia activity to be conducted in the north of Italy. “Ridiculous, shame,” shouted the father and son in the court in Reggio Emilia after their sentences were handed down after two weeks of deliberation by three judges amid tight security.

Iaquinta represented Italy 40 times, scoring six goals, and spent most of his playing career with Udinese before joining Juventus in 2007. He spent six years with the Turin club before calling time on his playing career in 2014.