May 23 – Juventus have been pushed back down the Serie A table after an Italian tribunal made a ruling to dock them 10 points for the current season. The points loss puts them outside European club competition qualification with two games left to play.
In January Juventus were sanctioned with a 15-point penalty but saw the points restored while they appealed the penalty for false accounting and a new hearing was organised.
The new ruling from that hearing on Monday in essence upheld the charges that the club artificially inflated the values of players as part of false accounting practices. The prosecutor had asked for an 11-point deduction, the judge settled on 10 points.
Juve said they took note of the decision and that they would consider whether to file a new appeal at Italy’s Sports Guarantee Board.
At the time of the initial investigation into the club by Italian prosecutors, the entire board, including Andrea Agnelli resigned.
The bad news for Juventus is not confined to the 10-point deduction. Last week the Italian governing body (FIGC) ordered a new trial against the club, leaving them facing further penalties, though if guilty it is not clear if the penalties would be applied to the current season or next.
That hearing is scheduled for June 15 and will look at alleged irregularities in the club’s payments to players as well as ‘undue’ relationships with players’ agents and other clubs.
With two games left of the season, Juventus are on 59 points, one point behind Roma who occupy sixth place and the Conference League qualification place. AC Milan on 64 point hold fourth place and the last Champions League qualification slot.
This summer Juventus will be part of Europe’s elite who will pre-season in California. By then they will likely only be elite in name.
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