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On Friday, after the closing of the Italian Stock Exchange, the Italian sports tribunal finally issued a long-awaited verdict in the football corruption scandal case - Turin, Rome, and were expelled to "Serie B", while maintaining their place in the highest "Serie A" league. All clubs lost the opportunity to participate in European tournaments, but still have the right to appeal.
The "Juventus" club, from which the investigation into the management's phone conversations with referees began, lost the last two Serie A titles from 2005 and 2006, was relegated to "Serie B", and will start the season with a 30-point deficit. Former club directors Luciano Moggi and Antonio Giraudo were disqualified for five years.
"Lazio" and "Fiorentina" were also relegated to "Serie B" and will have a deficit of seven and twelve points respectively, while "Milan" remained in "Serie A", but lost the 44 points collected in the previous season and will not be able to participate in the Champions League, starting the season with a 15-point deficit.
"Milan" official Leonardo Meani and "Fiorentina" president Andrea Della Valle were disqualified for 3.5 years, the latter's brother and honorary president of the Florence club Diego received a four-year suspension, "Lazio" president Claudio Lotito for three, while "Milan" president Adriano Galliani received a one-year disqualification.
Although the verdict was harsh, it was milder than what the Italian Federation (FIGC) prosecutors demanded. Stefano Palazzi asked for "Juventus" to be relegated to a lower league than "Serie B" and to be given a six-point deficit, with the other three clubs relegated to "Serie B" and given 15 points, while "Lazio" and "Fiorentina" were given 15 points, and "Milan" a three-point deficit.
Also punished were referee Pierluigi Pairetto (2.5-year disqualification), association president Tullio Lanese (2.5 years), vice-commissioner Gennaro Mazzei (1 year), referees Massimo De Santis (4.5 years), Gianluca Paparesta (3 months), Paolo Dondarini (3.5 years), assistant referees Claudio Puglisi, Fabrizio Babini (1 year each), former federation president Franco Carraro (4.5 years), vice president Innocenzo Mazzini (5 years). The verdict for another referee selector Paolo Bergamo was postponed, observer Pietro Ingargiola warned, while referees Pasquale Rodomonti, Paolo Bertini, Domenico Messina, Gianluca Rocchi, and Paolo Tagliavento were acquitted.
All convicted individuals have three days to appeal to the Federation's Appeals Court, and since practically all of them denied their guilt, it is likely that many of them will take advantage of this opportunity, so the final punishments should be clarified in the coming week or so. However, the sanctioned clubs may no longer be able to secure their places in European tournaments, as UEFA requires the final list of participants to be submitted by July 25.
If this happens, in the next season the Champions League could be represented by the third, fifth, seventh, and eighth places, respectively, Inter Milan, Roma, Chievo, and Palermo, while Livorno, Parma, and Empoli are contenders for the UEFA Cup. Meanwhile, the last three positions and the relegated to a lower league Messina, Lecce, and Treviso could regain the right to play in "Serie A."
