Mario Cipollini was acquitted today by the Verona court of having defamed (ex art.530 cpp) his former team manager, Ivano Fanini, because the act does not constitute a crime. The verdict was issued today by judge Peter Michaeler, who reserved the right to publish the reasons within 15 days. Public prosecutor Eugenia Bertini had requested a two-year sentence for the cycling champion. This is a full acquittal, despite the prosecutor having requested a two-year prison sentence. The trial proceedings demonstrated, without any doubt, the groundlessness of the accusations made by Ivano Fanini against Cipollini, who was defended in this circumstance by lawyer Giuseppe Napoleone.