Fresh headache for Juventus… docked 10 points for transfer deals

Juventus (JUVE.MI) on Monday were docked 10 points for the current season in a new ruling by an Italian soccer court investigating the club’s transfer dealings, Italy’s Football Association said.

Before the decision was announced and with three games left to play this season, including one on Monday evening, Juventus were second in Serie A with 69 points, behind this season’s champions Napoli.

Earlier on, a January ruling which imposed a 15-point penalty was overturned in April and new investigation commenced focusing on Juve’s past transfer dealings.

Eight executives have been acquitted after winning the right to appeal their bans, with former Bianconeri vice president Pavel Nedved among them.

A statement from Italy’s Football Association reads: “Called upon by the Collegio di Garanzia dello Sport to renew its assessment on the penalty to be imposed on Juventus for the so-called ‘capital gains case’, the Corte Federale d’Appello, chaired by Ida Raiola, sanctioned the Bianconeri club with ten penalty points in the league table to be served in the current football season.

“The Court also acquitted Pavel Nedved, Paolo Garimberti, Assia Grazioli Venier, Caitlin Mary Hughes, Daniela Marilungo, Francesco Roncaglio and Enrico Vellano of the charges.”

The new ruling came shortly before Juve’s clash with Empoli on Monday night. The deduction means Massimiliano Allegri’s side will fall to seventh in the table, having previously sat in second.

Juve’s chief football officer Francesco Calvo, said: “The first impressions are negative. We’re not satisfied. We expected it would arrive before the game.

“It’s too soon to make any further comment. We’ll put out a statement soon. First we need to read the written reasons to understand what margin there is for another appeal.”

Juve have been accused of fixing balance sheets by inflating transfer fee but deny any wrongdoing.