ROME -- Juventus was demoted to the second division for
match-fixing by a sports tribunal Friday and stripped it of its
last two Serie A titles, one of several sanctions aimed at cleaning
up the scandal-marred game as the nation celebrates its fourth
World Cup title.
Lazio and Fiorentina also were demoted to Serie B, while AC
Milan was spared demotion but given a 15-point penalty and won't
play in any European competition this season.
The toughest penalties meted out to individuals were against
former Juventus general manager Luciano Moggi and former Juventus
chief executive Antonio Giraudo, who received the maximum five-year
ban for match-fixing and disloyalty, with a recommendation to the
Italian soccer federation (FIGC) to make it a lifetime ban.
The pair, who resigned in May along with the club's entire
board, were accused of creating a network of contacts with FIGC
officials to influence refereeing assignments and get players
yellow-carded -- allegations that are at the heart of the scandal.
Of the 26 officials or referees accused in the scandal, 19
received punishment ranging from the maximum five-year ban to a
warning; five were acquitted; and two were banned for life without
prosecution because they resigned before being charged.
The sentences can be appealed within five days to a higher
sports court.
The verdicts came five days after Italy won its fourth World Cup
title by defeating France in the final in Berlin.
FIGC chief Guido Rossi, who took over in the wake of the
scandal, sought a speedy trial to clean up the game and restore
soccer's image as quickly as possible. The trial was completed in
six days, meeting an end of July deadline, the latest date to
decide which teams will participate in the European Champions
League and the UEFA Cup.
Rossi has the power to grant amnesty to teams and officials
involved, but has ruled out the possibility that the World Cup
victory would inspire leniency, despite political pressure.
Thirteen of the 23 members of the Italian squad that won the
World Cup play for the four teams penalized. There was speculation
about whether they would transfer because the clubs could no longer
afford them.
"I have some hopes that some of our most important players will
remain," said Juventus president Giovanni Cobolli Gigli, adding
that Real Madrid was interested in several players, according to
the news agency ANSA.
"It's obvious that part of our squad will not remain in Serie
B. We can't deny them the chance to play in a more competitive
league. We have capital, and we can't just give it away."
Milan released a statement saying it expected the verdict
against it would be overturned, calling it "a grave injustice."
Juventus also was penalized 30 points, making its return to
Serie A even more difficult and risking valuable sponsorship and
broadcast rights tied to its competing in the first division.
Fiorentina was penalized 12 points and Lazio seven.
Other prominent officials convicted in the trial include Franco
Carraro -- the former head of the Italian soccer league who resigned
in May amid the scandal. He was banned for 4½ years. He also is a
member of the International Olympic Committee. Fiorentina owner
Diego Della Valle and Lazio president Claudio Lotito were banned
for 4 years and 3½ years, respectively.
The sentence for Juventus marks the first demotion since its
founding in 1897. The Turin-based powerhouse has won 29 league
titles -- including the 2005 and 2006 titles stripped by Friday's
verdict -- two European Champions League titles, four Italian
Supercups, two European Supercups and two Toyota or
Intercontinental Cups.
Lazio returns to the Serie B for the first time since the
1987-88 season, while in 2002, Fiorentina was declared bankrupt and
forced to play in the fourth division, Serie C2. It won promotion
into Serie B by 2003 and returned to the top division the following
year.
Prosecutors in Naples, Rome, Parma and Turin are conducting
separate criminal probes into sports fraud, illegal betting and
false bookkeeping -- but any indictments could take months.