Italian football scandal: Italian giants Juventus yesterday failed in their attempt to have their relegation to Serie B repealed at an arbitration hearing handled by CONI, Italy's overall sports authority. Last month Juventus were stripped of their 2005 and 2006 league titles, relegated to Serie B and penalised 17 points for the club's prominent role in the "Footballgate" match-fixing scandal.
A statement issued by the club yesterday said attempts at arbitration by CONI between Juventus and the Football Federation had failed, "notwithstanding the club's willingness to negotiate".
Earlier in the week, Juventus president Giovanni Cobolli Gigli had argued the club should be readmitted to Serie A, given that two other clubs involved in the scandal, Lazio and Fiorentina, had been readmitted on appeal.
Despite yesterday's setback, Juventus seem determined to continue their battle for reinstatement. A club board meeting on Monday is likely to decide to prolong the legal battle, first by taking the case to the Court of Arbitration (CAS) in Lausanne and then by challenging the Football Federation's sentence in a Lazio Appeals Court (TAR) and perhaps even in the European Court of Justice.
In the wake of the sentences imposed last month firstly by a football disciplinary court and then at an appeals hearing, Juventus now argue that they have been unfairly treated. In the court hearings, Juventus effectively plea-bargained, implicitly admitting the wrongdoings of former club employees, including Luciano Moggi and Antonio Giraudo, but arguing the club had tried to set things to rights by sacking Moggi, Giraudo and the entire club board. In contrast, argue Juventus, neither Lazio nor Fiorentina admitted any wrongdoing, and both clubs questioned the legitimacy of the court.
Juventus are believed to have sought the services of Jean-Louis Dupont, the lawyer famous for having handled the Jean-Marc Bosman case, which established the principle of freedom of movement for out-of-contract players.
Dupont apparently believes the European Court could decide the cost (up to 200 million) inflicted upon Juventus is excessive and therefore illegal. He may also argue the ruling is hurting shareholders, who have seen the club's share price plummet.
The Football Federation, led by its special administrator, Guido Rossi, seem equally determined to fight their corner. In an interview earlier this week with La Repubblica, Rossi promised the Federation would be inflexible and warned against a media-driven campaign for amnesty.
"Unfortunately, there's a powerful part of this country that prefers the old, corrupt ways to the path of new reforms," he said.
"This football scandal is highlighting one of the endemic sicknesses of this country, namely the tendency to forget, to suggest that it wasn't really important in the first place."
