Investigations into “irregularities” in the Luis Suárez exam to obtain Italian citizenship

Italian authorities are investigating alleged “irregularities” that tarnished soccer player Luis Suárez’s Italian nationality test.

The Barcelona forward, who is from Uruguay, appeared last week for the exam, in the middle of a possible transfer to Juventus.

But the attorney general’s office in Perugia, Italy, and the Financial Police say they are investigating how the test was conducted.

Despite this, judicial sources informed the Italian news agency ANSA that Suárez himself is not being investigated.

It has been alleged that Suárez was informed of the test subjects before taking it at the University of Perugia, and that the player’s scores had been agreed upon in advance, according to a statement issued by the Perugia Prosecutor’s Office and the Financial Police.

Added to this, the statement added that the player “demonstrated a limited level of knowledge of the Italian language.”

Currently, five university officials, including the dean, are under investigation. Authorities also seized university documents on Tuesday.

The University of Perugia denied any wrongdoing and stated in a statement the “correctness and transparency of the procedures used in the examination.”

In early September, it was reported that Suarez had agreed to a transfer agreement to Juventus, but his nationality was the obstacle, as the club had no room left on its squad for players outside the European Union.

And because Suarez’s wife is Italian, this made him eligible to apply for an Italian passport, which would have allowed him to move to the Turin-based club. But the 33-year-old needed to pass a language test, which was held at the University of Perugia on September 17.

Reports also indicate that Suárez’s application for citizenship has been accelerated, taking about 15 days to review, while the normal waiting period ranges from two to four years. This infuriated other foreign applicants.

Suárez came to Barcelona from Liverpool in 2014, where, in his first season, he helped the club win the Copa del Rey, the Spanish League and the Champions League.

But his popularity at the club has recently waned. The team’s new coach, Ronald Koeman, was quoted as saying that Suárez had no future at Barcelona.