Federation prosecutor requests 9-point penalty for Juventus

Seattle Soccer, Sports

ROME (AP) — The Italian soccer federation prosecutor requested a nine-point penalty for Juventus on Friday for alleged false accounting involving the Bianconeri — a punishment that could eliminate the club’s chances of playing in Europe next season.

Prosecutor Giuseppe Chiné made the request during a hearing before the federation’s appeals court.

Chiné also requested a 16-month ban for former Juventus president Andrea Agnelli and similarly long bans for other members of Juve’s former board, which resigned en masse in November following an investigation by Turin public prosecutors into alleged false bookkeeping.

The move comes 17 years after the “Calciopoli” refereeing scandal that saw Juventus, a record 36-time Italian champion, demoted to Serie B and stripped of two Serie A titles.

Juventus has denied wrongdoing and was initially cleared by the sports court in April. But an appeal was made after the federation collected papers from the Turin prosecutors.

Fines were requested for eight other clubs: Sampdoria, Pro Vercelli, Genoa, Parma, Pisa, Empoli, Pescara and Novara.

Juventus is currently third in Serie A and 10 points behind Italian league leader Napoli. A nine-point penalty would drop the Bianconeri to eighth place.

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