A stain on the sport
The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) confirmed the suspension of Italian chair umpire Francesco Totaro indefinitely Thursday pending an investigation into match-fixing accusations.
“The ITIA may at any time impose a Provisional Suspension on a Covered Person, including (i) before a Notice of Major Offense has been issued, (ii) before a Hearing or (iii) at any time after a Hearing but prior to the AHO’s issuance of a written Decision,” per F.3 of the 2022 Tennis Anti-Corruption Program.
will not return at least until the accusations against him have been fully scrutinized
Totaro, a national-level umpire, will not return at least until the accusations against him have been fully scrutinized.
Match-fixing cases grow
Match-fixing is one of the more serious crimes in the sporting world. In 2016, ESPN expert Brian Windhorst reported that members of the Cleveland Cavaliers threw a regular-season game to get then-head coach David Blatt fired. Blatt was ultimately released and the Cavs went on to win the NBA Finals with his replacement, Tyronn Lue. To this day, MLB’s Chicago White Sox are stained by the infamous 1919 World Series, which earned them the nickname the “Black Sox” after players on the team accepted bribes from gamblers to throw games.
Video clips from a Nigerian soccer match went viral earlier this week because of apparent match fixing during a penalty shootout. During one of the shots, the goalkeeper failed to attempt a save, and a player later kicked the ball straight off the pitch.
will not be able to be involved in any international tennis-related events during his suspension
Given the seriousness, Totaro will not be able to be involved in any international tennis-related events during his suspension.
“The ITIA is an independent body established by the International Governing Bodies of Tennis to promote, encourage, enhance and safeguard the integrity of professional tennis worldwide,” the organization reiterated while confirming Totaro’s suspension.
Other suspensions in tennis
Three other tennis umpires— Majd Affi, Mohamed Ghassen Snene and Abderahim Gharsallah— were also suspended earlier this week for match-fixing.
The three men, all Tunisian, were hit with fixed suspension dates after they were found guilty of manipulating scores. Affi, a green badge chair umpire, will serve a 20-year expulsion, while Snene and Gharsallah will be gone for seven years. Each timeline was set to coincide with the start of their suspensions on November 6, 2020.
The ITIA created a tennis integrity unit with the Egyptian Tennis Federation in June to combat cases like these. Their effectiveness will soon be put to the test, as cases of match-fixing continue to pile up.