Juventus handed 10-point deduction by the Italian Federation for false accounting, putting them at risk of missing out on a European tournament
Juventus Football Club recently suffered a major setback when the Italian Football Federation’s appeals court docked them 10 points for incorrect accounting that was discovered following an inquiry into the club’s transfer activities. This ruling has had far-reaching effects, sending Juventus’ Serie A rankings from second to seventh and seriously damaging their prospects of qualifying for the Champions League.
Juventus’ problems started when they were first assessed a 15-point penalty in January of this year. Along with losing points, a number of previous club board members, including former president Andrea Agnelli, were also prohibited from participating in football-related activities. The points deduction was, however, temporarily halted following an appeal to the highest sports court of the Italian Olympic Committee, which prompted a second trial by the football federation’s appeals court.
Giuseppe Chiné, the federation prosecutor, sought an 11-point fine against Juventus as well as eight-month suspensions for seven former Juventus directors during a three-hour hearing. The appeals court ultimately opted to dock Juventus 10 points while clearing the seven former directors of all charges.
Juventus has experienced a huge setback in their quest for a top-four finish in Serie A as a result of the 10-point punishment, making it extremely improbable that they will qualify for the Champions League the next season. Currently, they sit 7th with 59 points and are 1 point behind 6th place Roma. Before the deduction, they were 2nd with 69 points, one point ahead of Lazio who was 3rd at the time.
With two games left to be played in the Serie A, Juventus still has a chance to qualify for the Champions League. However, this is out of their hands; this means that 3rd place Inter with 66 points and 4th place Milan will have to drop points in their remaining games. What makes it more difficult is that Juventus will play AC Milan this weekend.
Juventus responded to the appeals court’s verdict with a statement that was bitterly critical of it. The club acknowledged the disappointment of its fans and emphasized the need for clear regulations and the concept of proportionality in the imposition of penalties. Juventus said it will examine the court’s justifications and think about whether to appeal to the Guarantee Board at CONI, the Italian National Olympic Committee.
“Juventus Football Club takes note of what was decided by the FIGC Court of Appeal and reserves the right to read the reasons to evaluate a possible appeal to the Guarantee Board at CONI,” the club said.
“What was established by the fifth instance of judgment in this matter, which began more than a year ago, arouses great bitterness in the club and in its millions of supporters who, in the absence of clear rules, find themselves extremely penalised with the application of sanctions that seem to take into account the principle of proportionality. While not ignoring the need for urgency, which Juventus has never shied away from during the proceedings, it is emphasised that these are facts that still have to be evaluated by a judge.”
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