Italian prosecutor calls for Serie C relegation for Juventus

The prosecutor in Italy's match-fixing scandal said Juventus should be demoted to Serie C, and three other clubs should be relegated from Serie A.

Stefano Palazzi told the tribunal that AC Milan, Lazio and Fiorentina should be exiled to Italy's second division, Serie B, and Juventus should be stripped of the Serie A titles they won the past two seasons.

Juventus are at the centre of one of Italy's biggest sporting trials after phone taps revealed one of their top managers discussing referee appointments with officials.

Palazzi said Juventus should be relegated to "below Serie B."

The prospect of Italy's most successful team plummeting into the also-rans of football shocked investors, and the Milan stock exchange suspended Juventus shares. Juventus stock was down almost 14 per cent soon after the trial news broke. Shares were down 2.16 per cent at 1.31 yesterday afternoon.

Former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, who owns AC Milan, said he was "indignant" at the request to relegate his club, and said AC Milan should be handed Juventus' past two titles if the Turin team is found guilty.

"Milan have never had refereeing favours. On the contrary, they've been victims of refereeing favours in favour of other clubs," he said.

Former Juventus chief executive Antonio Giraudo was one of the first to speak as the tribunal began in earnest.

"All kinds of things go on in football: people give Rolexes to referees, people fix the accounts. What I'm saying is that this is an environment in which you have to protect yourself," he said.

Palazzi asked for Giraudo to be handed a five-year ban plus a GBP 3,466 fine for every instance of sporting fraud. He asked for the same punishment for Luciano Moggi, Juventus' former general manager, for brothers Diego and Andrea Della Valle, the owner and president of Fiorentina, and for Claudio Lotito, the chairman of Lazio. He also said all four teams should be docked points for next season.

The tribunal has said it aims to deliver its verdicts on 10 July, the day after the World Cup final in Berlin.

Tribunal president Cesare Ruperto called a premature end to the proceedings around 4 p.m., because not all the defendants wishing to speak in defence of themselves were present, including Moggi.

Juventus' former general manager has not appeared at the trial since it started last Thursday, raising doubts over whether he will turn up at all.

Today, the remaining defendants are due to speak, followed by Palazzi, who will respond to their arguments. Lawyers for the accused will then launch their defences.

Those found guilty can appeal though the process must be finished by 20 July, the deadline set by European football's ruling body for the Italian Football Federation to submit the list of teams for next season's Champions League and UEFA Cup competitions.

Juventus also said coach Fabio Capello had resigned. Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon said Monday he would appoint Capello, one of Italian football's most successful managers, as coach to the Spanish club.

"Fabio will be presented on Thursday for sure," Calderon was quoted as saying by El Pais newspaper.

Other news reports added Capello will arrive in Madrid today and sign a three-year contract before giving a news conference at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium tomorrow.

Bringing Capello to Madrid was promised by Calderon during campaigning for Sunday's presidential election. Calderon's proclamation as president was delayed to Monday owing to a dispute over postal votes.

The vast majority of the players who started for Italy against Germany in the World Cup are from teams standing trial. Juventus have five players in the Italy squad and three playing for France, who play Portugal in the other semifinal.

Source: euFootball.BIZ © Copyright 2006 - All rights reserved.