Once again, Italy has been embroiled in another football betting scandal. It seems that the Italians never learn from their past mistakes.

The Italians are still talking about the 2006 scandal – it was only recently that former Juventus administrator Luciano Moggi was kicked out of football for life – and now they have to deal with another shameful incident.

It’s another big blow for the credibility of the game in Italy. Although the proportions of the 2011 scandal are nowhere near those of 2006, what is happening now throws huge doubts on the authenticity of the sport in Italy. The fact that former national team players – Giuseppe Signori and Cristiano Doni (pictured) – are being investigated, adds to the shame.

The current issue mostly concerns games that were played in the lower divisions during the past season, but there are a few top flight matches that could have also been involved. What is sure is that, once again, the Italian authorities have to deal with a humiliating situation.

And they have to do it quickly, in time before the new season starts so as to be able to have the 2011-2012 start as planned. The fact that teams like Atalanta and Siena, both of which have been promoted from the Serie B to the Serie A, are involved in the issue means that the list of participating teams in next season’s top division is still not completed as the outcome of the investigation is still now known.

Whether either club or both will be penalised to such an extent that they will lose out on their promotion remains to be seen. Their reputation has however been greatly tarnished.

The situation is also a big blow to the genuine supporters who follow the game and their favourite team week in week out. It makes them wonder why they take so much trouble and spend so much money to watch the games. It affects the passion they feel for the game too, as each time they watch a game they wonder whether there is some form of pre-match agreement on the result.

The Italian authorities do well to take such investigations seriously. It is often said that judgements could serve as a deterrent to prevent others from committing the same crime but, in Italy’s case, it seems that the mistakes of the past are quickly forgotten.

It is a real pity. Italy’s standing in the football world lost so much in 2006, and once again it is bound to lose more.