From the soccer field to the prison: The case of Vincenzo Iaquinta
The striker Vincenzo Iaquinta, who shone with the 'Azzurra' in the World Cup in Germany 2006, now suffers the worst time of his life
At the end of the 2012/13 season, Vincenzo Iaquinta decided to hang up his boots and finally abandon the soccer fields. His last club was Juventus. The striker was well served after an outstanding career in which he won a World Cup with the Italian team in Germany 2006.
Leer en español: ¡Nexos con la mafia! De campeón del mundo con Italia a estar en prisión
Iaquinta was one of Marcello Lippi's confident in that cup, in which he even scored a goal in the debut of the 'Azzurra' against Ghana, in a match whose final score was 2-0. In this contest, the attacker alternated the attack with other men of the category of Luca Toni, Alessandro del Piero, and Filippo Inzaghi.
However, things got complicated when a court in the city of Reggio Emilia decided to sentence him to two years in prison for links to the mafia organization 'Ndrangheta', reports El Mundo.
According to the BBC website, Iaquinta and his father were accused of illegal possession of weapons. He also points out that the network that the former footballer would be part of has around 6,000 members worldwide and its center of operations is in Calabria, considered one of the poorest and most dangerous regions in Italy.
Read also: These are the 10 most expensive players in the world
In as much, the World mentions that, even, the Antimadia Direction had requested six years of jail against the ex- attacker, although finally it was left in two when considering that Iaquinta did not have direct participation in the illegal businesses of the mafia.
Transfermarkt reviews on its website Vincenzo's career, which started in 1996 wearing the colors of Reggiolo Calcio, in 1998 he made the leap to Calcio Padova, where he remained for a short time and then transferred to Castel di Sangro. In 2000 the opportunity came when he was signed by Udinese, a club that would end up giving him fame and recognition. His good performances there earned him a place in the National Team of Italy with which he played the World Cups of Germany 2006 and South Africa 2010. In addition, he was part of the team that participated in the Confederations Cup of 2009.
From global example to imprisoned for homicide
The case of Iaquinta is not the first of a footballer or athlete who goes from being at the peak of his career to fall in disgrace for extra-sports situations. One of the most striking and impacting the world was the one with Oscar Pistorius, a South African athlete who impressed when competing in the Olympic Games in London 2012 with two prostheses in his legs, reports El Comercio de Ecuador. His participation was qualified as an icon of overcoming and fighting through sports, but in February 2013 his life changed forever.
In a report published by Semana Magazine, it is said that on the night of February 14, 2013, when Valentine's Day was celebrated, Pistorius assassinated his wife, Reeva Steenkamp, with four shots. Although he always assured that the crime was involuntary and that he acted thinking that there was an intruder in his house, a judge decided to condemn him to 15 years in prison.
It may interest you: That's love for a shirt! 5 players who never changed teams
The sunset of a former NFL star
Also worth mentioning is Orenthal James Simpson, who in July 2017 received the benefit of probation after being sentenced to 30 years in prison for murder, kidnapping, and robbery, laopinion.com says. OJ Simpson had a successful career in American football from 1969 to 1979 and was even inducted IGNORE INTO the NFL Hall of Fame.
LatinAmerican Post | Yeinson Fajardo Bohórquez
Translated from: 'De la cancha a la prisión: Conoce el caso de Vincenzo Iaquinta'
Listen this article
