Buffon says scandal won't affect Italy

DUISBURG, Germany, June 23 (Reuters) Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon said the fact that his club Juventus, along with three other top Serie A teams, face charges in a match-fixing scandal won't affect Italy's World Cup chances.

''We know that something is happening but of course we have to wait for the sentences, it is a waste of time talking about it now,'' Buffon told reporters today.

Italy meet Australia in the second round on Monday after securing top spot in Group E with Thursday's 2-0 victory over the Czech Republic and Buffon says the players are focused purely on the World Cup.

''(The scandal) has not left any mark on us, there is nothing official, no sentence and everyone of us is thinking exclusively about the World Cup,'' he said.

''The World Cup is the summit for any player and only comes along every four years, you don't want to let it be ruined by other things,'' added the Italy keeper.

The head of Italy's World Cup delegation, Football Federation vice-president Giancarlo Abete, said that the players had proven they can keep the scandal out of their minds.

''The players arrived at their pre-World Cup camp on May 22 knowing that there was a complex situation under way and they have responded very positively,'' he told reporters.

''Not one player or coach has been charged. The problem affects all of (Italian) football but the players and coaches are not involved,'' he added.

''The team finished top of its group and is in the second round -- now they have to confront a knockout tie so I don't except it will be difficult for them to concentrate,'' said Abete.

The Football Federation prosecutor yesterday charged champions Juventus, AC Milan, Fiorentina and Lazio, as well as 26 individuals in the nation's biggest sporting scandal in a quarter of a century.

A tribunal will begin its work of interviewing those facing charges in Rome on June 29.

Thirteen of the 23 players in Marcello Lippi's squad play for clubs facing charges.

The two main charges -- sporting fraud and violating fairness and probity -- can be punished by fines, bans and relegations.

REUTERS DH KN1900