Italian football looks set to be engulfed in scandal after prosecutors revealed they were investigating leading clubs, referees and officials for suspected match-fixing.

Two senior officials of Juventus are among 41 people who are formally under investigation, judicial sources in Naples said.

Six-times European champions Milan and fellow Serie A outfit Lazio feature in an investigation of 19 Serie A matches from last season which investigators suspect could have been fixed.

In the capital, carabinieri police searched the soccer federation’s offices and those of the referees’ association. Referee Massimo De Santis, who will take part in next month’s World Cup in Germany, is being looked into as part of the Naples investigation.

The Naples magistrates are looking into suspicions of “criminal association” and “sporting fraud”.

If Juventus were to be found guilty of “sporting fraud”, they could be stripped of their title win and face demotion to Serie B.

The crisis led incoming Prime Minister Romano Prodi to suggest that a political ‘commisar’ be put in charge of the federation (FIGC).

Juventus general manager Luciano Moggi and chief executive Antonio Giraudo are at the centre of the scandal which was triggered by the publication of recorded phone conversations discussing refereeing appointments with senior federation officials.

On Thursday the entire board of directors of Juventus resigned ahead of a shareholders’ meeting on June 29.