The forward is suspected of cheating to pass the test with the help of his teachers, the Perugia prosecutor’s department said on Tuesday.
Police searched the University for Foreigners in Perugia on Tuesday looking for further evidence, while Italian daily La Repubblica reported that five university employees were being investigated, including the rector.
Suarez, whose native language is Spanish, himself is not cited among those under investigation.
The language exam was the first step in the process to receive Italian citizenship ahead of a possible transfer to Turin giants Juventus, a move which has seen been abandoned.
Suarez flew to the city of Perugia by private jet on Thursday to take the exam at the University for Foreigners.
“Investigations have shown the topics of the exam had been agreed with the candidate and the relative score had been assigned before the test,” a statement from the Perugia investigative office said on
Tuesday.
Local prosecutor Raffaele Cantone, a former head of Italy’s National Anti-Corruption Authority, had been carrying out an investigation since February into University for Foreigners officials over various irregularities.
Suspicions over Suarez were sparked by an overheard conversation.
“But what do you think, that we’re going to fail him? Today I have the last lesson [with Suarez] and I have to prepare it because he barely speaks a word of Italian,” Stefania Spina, one of the people targeted by the investigation, is claimed to have said according to prosecution documents cited by Italian publications.
Asked by a colleague what level Suarez “should pass” in Italian, Spina reportedly replied: “He should not, he must, he will pass, because with a salary of 10 million [euros] per season, you can’t make him fail ... even if he doesn’t know how to conjugate verbs and speak in the infinitive.”
Juventus coach Andrea Pirlo said last week a proposed deal for Suarez was unlikely to go ahead because of delays in the Uruguayan’s bid to get an Italian passport.
The Italian champions cannot recruit Suarez otherwise, because they have already reached their quota for non-EU players.
Suarez is married to an Italian citizen and therefore eligible to apply.
Though he had to take the B1 language exam like everyone else, there have been claims that not only were his exam results reportedly fast-tracked, but so was the rest of the citizenship application process.
It usually takes between one and three months for those taking the B1 language exam to get their results back, though Suarez reportedly obtained his within hours.
And many Italian media reports suggest the footballer could have his citizenship approved within just 15 days.
Most people applying for Italian citizenship through marriage have to wait two to four years for their application to be processed.
