An Italian paparazzi photographer has been arrested on suspicion of blackmailing Serie A footballers with compromising photographs.

Fabrizio Corona was arrested by magistrates in the southern city of Potenza on allegations that he took photographs of Italian celebrities, including footballers, then threatened to sell the photographs to the press unless they gave him money.

Today's La Gazzetta dello Sportdevoted a full page to what it said were transcripts of interrogations between the investigators and four footballers, three of them well-known internationals, in which the players described their dealings with Corona.

The investigation threatens to dig up more dirt on a sport that is still reeling from last year's match-fixing scandal and the death of a policeman during rioting at a Serie A match last month.

Last year champions Juventus were stripped of their crown and demoted to Serie B after it emerged the club had been interfering in the selection of referees.

AC Milan, Lazio, Reggina and Fiorentina were found guilty of similar but lesser offences and deducted points from the start of the Serie A season.

This season the sport has been scarred by repetitive crowd violence which culminated in the death of a policeman after a Catania game in Sicily.