Luis Suarez and cheating? Barca striker suspected of cheating on Italian exam
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Clearing the Italian exam is the first step to receive a passport. Suarez has been looking for one after being linked to Juventus as a possible transfer.
Perugia prosecutor's department on Tuesday said that Barcelona's striker Luis Suarez is suspected of cheating to pass his Italian language test with the help of his teachers.
Clearing the Italian exam is the first step to receive a passport. Suarez has been looking for one after being linked to Juventus as a possible transfer.
"The investigation showed that the subjects discussed during the exam were agreed beforehand with the candidate and that the grade was awarded to him even before the test," the prosecutor's department said in a statement.
Raffaele Cantone, a former head of Italy's National Anti-Corruption Authority, has been investigating University for Foreigners officials over various irregularities since February. Suarez came under suspicion over an overheard conversation.
"But what do you think, that we're going to fail him? Today I have the last lesson (with Suarez) and I have to prepare it because he barely speaks a word" of Italian, Stefania Spina, one of the people targeted by the investigation, is claimed to have said according to prosecution documents cited by Italian media.
Asked by a colleague what level Suarez "should pass" in Italian, Spina reportedly replied: "He should not, he must, he will pass, because with a salary of 10 million (euros) per season, you can't make him fail" his exam, "even if he doesn't know how to conjugate verbs and speak in the infinitive."
According to Juve coach Andrea Pirlo, a proposed deal for Suarez was unlikely to go ahead because of delays in the Uruguayan's bid to get an Italian passport.
The Italian champions cannot recruit Suarez otherwise because they have already reached their quota for non-EU players.
(Inputs from AFP)