Italian police have arrested seven people involved with Catania over alleged match-fixing at the Serie B club last season.
Catania finished 15th in the second division on 49 points in the 2014/15 campaign, two points above the relegation play-off spots.
The Sicilian club were relegated from Serie A in 2014 after eight successive years in the top flight.
A police statement on www.poliziadistato.it read: " Police have executed seven arrest warrants against directors of Catania who are accused of trying to buy the result of several matches during the recently-concluded Serie B season, results which would have allowed them (Catania) to avoid relegation.
"The arrested directors are accused of fraud in sporting competitions, and fraud.
"Also under house arrest are two sports agents and two online betting managers."
According to the statement, the illegal activity began in the wake of Catania's 2-0 defeat to relegation rivals Virtus Entella in late March.
Following that loss, Catania recorded five successive victories to move away from trouble near the foot of the table, before finishing the season by taking two points from their final five games.
The statement continued: "Using wiretaps, investigators have recorded a number of conversations which were clearly discussing how to alter the outcome of football matches so that Catania could continue in Serie B.
"The police have subsequently discovered the existence of a criminal organisation with a stable structure, in which members are assigned different roles and tasks.
"The illegal activity began in late March, after Catania's away defeat to Virtus Entella on March 21, which was played with both clubs in the relegation zone."
The statement added that further raids were being made in Rome, Chieti, Campobasso and Catania, but that no directors of other clubs are involved in the investigation conducted by the Italian law enforcement agency Digos.
Source: PA
