Italian Juventus lawyer says Serie B relegation might be fair

Italian club Juventus believes relegation to the second division is an acceptable punishment for its role in an alleged match-fixing scandal, newspapers reported Thursday.

Juventus lawyer Cesare Zaccone was quoted as saying that, if the club were found guilty, "an acceptable punishment could be that of the other clubs, in other words (relegation to) the second division with points deducted."

A prosecutor has charged Juventus and three other clubs with sporting fraud and he has recommended the Serie A champions be sent down to at least the third division, while AC Milan, Fiorentina and Lazio be demoted to the second division.

Zaccone was speaking Wednesday during a hearing at a special sports tribunal to look into claims that the clubs, their management, Italian football officials and referees were involved in a scheme to influence the outcome of matches.

The clubs and the individuals accused have denied the match-fixing claims.

Zaccone began his address to the tribunal by saying the club should not be held responsible for the actions of their former management, who stepped down when the scandal emerged.

The sports tribunal will not hand out penal sentences, but a separate magistrates' investigation in Naples has yet to decide whether to press criminal charges against some of the accused.

The tribunal aims to deliver its verdicts Monday, the day after the World Cup final between Italy and France in Berlin.

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