With Juan Sebastien Veron and Alvaro Recoba dominating the headlines for all the wrong reasons, Serie A clubs are trembling in their boots as to the consequences of turning a blind eye to false EU passports in the past.
Veron, whose current problems surfaced in planetfootball.com's exclusive story on April 4th 2000, has played a key part in the success enjoyed by Lazio - including the domestic double last season - under now-England boss Sven Goran Eriksson.
Veteran coach Fabio Capello has already appealed for Lazio to be stripped of their titles if Veron is found guilty - and this remains a feasible consequence for the Roman club.
Veron is not the only high-profile player wrapped up in the enquiry, with Uruguayan Alvaro Recoba also facing major problems.
According to Brazilian legend Antonio Careca, the problem is something that football authorities and clubs have been well aware of for some time - but have chosen to turn a blind eye to.
"It's easy to get a fake distant relative in Italy for as little as $9000," insisted Careca. "It has been an open secret for many years."
But, inevitably, the open secret has become public - and the legal ramifications could cause shockwaves throughout European football.
Some suggestions as to a punishment include taking away any point earned whilst an illegally-registered player was on the pitch.
This extreme measure would see Inter in deep trouble - with an approximate 20 point removal leaving the club facing relegation to Serie B.
The most likely occurrence is a huge fine for clubs, and possibly a much-reduced points penalty, although even this is likely to create a major furore amongst the senior figures in Italian football.
As Franco Sensi stated on Tuesday: "It's the League's fault. They have to make a firm decision about things right now, and not wait until its convenient at the end of the season.
"I agree with [Adriano] Galliani about tighter controls for non-EU players - and not Antonio Giraudo that foreign players should be not allowed in at all."
