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Serie A titans Juventus have been handed a 10-point deduction to their league tally, decimating their chances of making Champions League qualification this season.
The Old Lady, who are second in Serie A and play Empoli tonight, received the sanction at a judicial hearing on Monay afternoon as the latest development in their case of false accounting. The panel considered a penalty of 11 points, but ultimately decided on 10.
Initially, Juve were haned a 15-point deduction for alleged financial irregularities and inflated transfer fees. A month ago, it was overturned on appeal, allowing Max Allegri’s squad to return to the top four in the Italian first division.
A number of the club’s top executives have been suspended for their roles in the case, including Fabio Paratici, who was compelled to resign as Tottenham Hotspur’s manager after receiving a 30-month ban that FIFA subsequently extended worldwide.
On April 20, Italy’s highest sports court denied Paratici’s appeal to have his suspension overturned. Paratici worked for Juventus from 2010 to 2021.
He has the option of bringing his case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland or filing a civil lawsuit, but it could take several months for either action to be resolved.
Pavel Nedved, Paolo Garimberti, and Enrico Vellano successfully appealed their respective charges, whereas Paratici, Andrea Agnelli, and Federico Cherubini had their appeals denied.
Juventus ‘Reserve The Right To Evaluate A Possible Appeal’
According to Football Italia, Juventus has the theoretical ability to file a second appeal. However, it has been indicated that the likelihood of success is minimal.
“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,” a statement from the club reads.
“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 penalized with the application of sanctions that seem to take into account the principle of proportionality,” it reads.
“While not ignoring the need for urgency, which Juventus has never shied away from during the proceedings, it is emphasized that these are facts that still have to be evaluated by a judge.”
As a result of the points deduction, Juventus have dropped from second place to outside the Champions League positions prior to their match against Empoli. There is still a chance that they could return to the top four by the conclusion of the season, but even a perfect record in their final three games may not be enough.
Prior to Monday’s contest, their point total has decreased from 69 to 59. They can finish with a maximum of 68 points, while AC Milan, who are currently fourth in the table after Juventus’ slide, have 64 points with two games remaining.
After the match against Empoli, Juventus will host fellow Champions League contenders Milan in a game that now has increased significance. They will conclude the season away at Udinese, but a top-four finish may be out of reach by then.
Having been eliminated from the Europa League semifinals by Sevilla, Juventus have also lost a potential fallback route to the Champions League. Dusan Vlahovic gave the Bianconeri the lead, but Suso equalized before Erik Lamela scored the game-winning goal in extra time for the Spanish team.
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