Serie A side AC Milan and Serie B side Modena coach Hernan Crespo have both "rejected claims they defrauded the Italian tax authorities," after searches were carried out by investigators on Tuesday morning, according to Ben Gladwell of ESPN. Milan's HQ was "one of the locations tax authorities raided as part of a probe named Fuorigioco (offside) into suspected intentional fraudulent behaviour in the conduct of transfers." A statement signed by club solicitors Niccolo Ghedini and Leandro Cantamessa said, "Today, the public prosecutor of Naples decided to give Adriano Galliani a termination notice relating to the investigation for a series of events that are absolutely marginal and not founded and which will come to a resolution, in terms of both tax and criminal law, with a due dismissal." Crespo was "equally dismissive of the allegations, taking to Facebook to distance himself from the latest scandal to hit Italian football." He wrote, "Dear friends, in my career I have always been used to attacking and I will continue to do so. I don't need to defend myself: I AM TOTALLY UNCONNECTED to what happened today, related to the investigation by the prosecutor" (ESPN, 1/27).
