Veron cleared of role in passport scandal

Argentine midfielder Juan Veron of Lazio was today cleared of playing a role in the false passport scandal that has rocked Italian…

Argentine midfielder Juan Veron of Lazio was today cleared of playing a role in the false passport scandal that has rocked Italian soccer.

But a ruling banned a number of other players and slapped huge fines on clubs.

A list of players with Italian clubs - most from South America - had been charged with obtaining Italian passports by using false documents.

The Italian Football League said AC Milan's Brazilian goalkeeper, Nelson Dida, had been banned for a year along with Inter Milan's Uruguayan striker, Alvaro Recoba.

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Four Brazilian players from Udinese, two South American players from champions AS Roma and two from Vicenza have also been banned for a year.

All the clubs involved have been fined between one and three billion lire ($450,000-$1.35 million).