Juventus have been deducted 15 points for the current season by an Italian football court investigating the club’s transfer dealings.
The ruling, which also dealt a blow to the club’s reputation, is tougher than a nine-point deduction a soccer prosecutor had requested earlier on Friday during a hearing looking at the way Juventus and several other teams dealt with player exchange deals.
With 20 games left to play this season, Juve was third in Serie A with 37 points, 10 behind leaders Napoli.
The deduction pushes them down into 10th place, leaving the country’s most successful team marooned in mid-table and outside the qualifying spots for lucrative European competition.
In a late-night statement, the court also imposed bans from holding office in Italian soccer on 11 past and present Juventus directors.
Juventus said it would appeal to the country’s Sports Guarantee Board once the reasons for the ruling were published. They have denied wrongdoing and said their accounting was in line with industry standards.
The Bianconeri is the most successful club in Italy, having won 36 official league titles, 14 domestic cups, and nine domestic Super Cups. The club also has two Champions League titles under its belt and won the UEFA Cup three times, among other accolades.
Story By: Mustapha Hadji – Ahotor Sports Desk
