Andrea Masiello wants to return to play with Atalanta after his two-year and five month ban for match fixing ends next January.
As confirmed by sporting director Pierpaolo Marino, the 28-year-old Masiello is still under contract with Atalanta, at the minimum wage of €2,200 per month, because the club could not find a way to rescind it despite the wrongdoings.
As Tuttoatalanta.it reports, Masiello spoke about his future on March 28 during a trial about the fixing of Bari-Lecce in 2011, where the former Lecce president Pierandrea Semerano is accused of sports fraud. “This summer, I will be at Atalanta’s training camp and in January I will resume playing.
“I have been training in these months with the coach [Davide] Del Nero and other players without a contract, like Daniele Ficagna, now I am training on my own because the others have found a team. I have played some games with a team composed by lawyers in my town in Tuscany where there are good athletes, considering they are amateurs.”
After being investigated, Masiello cooperated with the federal prosecutor Stefano Palazzi and plea-bargained for fixing Bari-Sampdoria, Palermo-Bari, Bari-Lecce, Bologna-Bari, Udinese-Bari, Cesena-Bari and Salernitana-Bari.
In February, Atalanta introduced an ethical code for their players, but as Marino admitted in the unveiling press conference, its aim is to prevent future sports and penal felonies, but it does not include sanctions for who has already served a suspension.
The president of the club Antonio Percassi opened to his return in an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport in the June of 2013: “They told me that he is regretful, humanly you have to be able to forgive.”
Atalanta bought the half of the full-back from Bari in the summer of 2011 for €2.5 million, plus Marino Defendi, but Masiello played only half a season before being investigated, suspended by the club and then disqualified by the sports authorities. He has collected 17 appearances with the Colantuono’s side. The following summer, since both club offered nothing for the other team’ half, Atalanta fully acquired him by default.
