The biggest scandal to hit Italian soccer in more than 20 years showed no signs of calming today despite the resignation of the game's top official, football federation president Franco Carraro.

Carraro's departure yesterday followed the publication of mobile phone conversations between key figures in the game with high-ranked personnel at Serie A leaders Juventus and, in particular, the club's 68-year-old general manager Luciano Moggi.

In the transcripts released so far, Moggi discusses specific refereeing appointments for games in Italy and Europe and reveals his close contacts with top officials.

While the taps have not produced evidence of criminal acts, they do confirm a widely-held view in Italy that Juventus and Moggi enjoy cosy relationships with leading officials.

The attitude of many in the game was summed up by television pundit and former Juventus striker, Gianluca Vialli, who said: "The fear I have when I read these things is that we are dealing with the tip of an iceberg and that the worst is yet to come".

European soccer's ruling body Uefa has already reprimanded Pierluigi Pairetto, a member of Uefa's refereeing commission and previously one of Italy's top referees' officials.

Taps revealed he had leaked information on the match officials chosen for a Juventus game in the Champions League - a breach of confidentiality regulations.

The transcripts date from the early months of the 2004-05 season, which ended with Juve being crowned champions. The documents have emerged from a Turin magistrates' probe which ended without action.

As well as a federation enquiry into those telephone conversations, Moggi is also being investigated by magistrates in Naples and Rome in two separate probes into illegal gambling and the operation of a management company owned by Moggi's son Alessandro.

The GEA management firm has over 200 players and coaches on its books. Rome magistrates have put the company under investigation for "illegal competition with use of threats and violence."