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Juventus star Paul Pogba: Champions League in danger
Photo: Jonathan Moscrop / dpa
Juventus Turin was punished for financial offences shortly before the end of the season with a hefty point deduction. The Italian football record champions will be deducted ten points in Serie A, which puts Juve's participation in the Champions League in the autumn in jeopardy.
The highest court of the football association FIGC passed the verdict on Monday, remaining only slightly below the eleven point deduction demanded by chief prosecutor Giuseppe Chinè.
The case is about the allegation that Juventus falsified the market values of its players for years and thus booked excessive sums in transfers or exchanges with other clubs.
The association court had already sentenced the Turin at the beginning of the year to a 15-point penalty. The club appealed to Italy's highest sports court and was initially successful – the judges of the National Olympic Committee (Coni) overturned the sentence, but returned the case to the FIGC chamber for a new verdict.
Seven former Juve managers who were also accused, such as ex-professional Pavel Nedved, who had received suspensions in the first trial, were acquitted this time. The former club bosses around President Andrea Agnelli had already been banned at the beginning of the year – their punishment had not been revised by the highest Coni sports court.
Due to the ten-point deduction, Juventus slipped from second place behind the already established champions SSC Napoli out of the top four and thus out of the Champions League ranks. On Monday evening (20:45 CET), the Turin team played the catch-up game of the third-to-last matchday at FC Empoli.
Juventus does not only have to answer to a sports court because of this case. Last week, prosecutor Chinè had reported the club because it is said to have illegally booked and concealed salary payments in the millions. The first hearing in this case is scheduled for 15 June.
phw/dpa