ITALY: SOCCER/FOOTBALL - The soccer trial verdict has shaken World Cup winner Italy, with opposite reactions among soccer fans and newspapers.

Record ID: 335490

  • Title: ITALY: SOCCER/FOOTBALL - The soccer trial verdict has shaken World Cup winner Italy, with opposite reactions among soccer fans and newspapers.
  • Date: 16th July 2006
  • Summary: ROME, ITALY (JULY 15, 2006)(REUTERS) WIDE SHOT STREET SCENES
  • Embargoed: 31st July 2006 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Italy
  • Country: Italy
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA1SGI8VC5DLUZ0C0MSBUQRKIZB
  • Story Text: The soccer verdict relegating Italy's most successful soccer club Juventus to second division Serie B along with ex-champions Fiorentina and Lazio hit the newspapers headlines and shook Rome on Saturday (July 15, 2006), whose local team Lazio will have to leave Serie A at least for one year.
    "I think the verdict was unjust", said Rome passer-by Fabrizio Caccamo, "AC Milan stayed in Serie A, while Juventus, Lazio and Fiorentina were relegated."
    Bringing to a head the biggest scandal in European soccer for decades, the tribunal also ruled that AC Milan, although they will stay in Serie A, would have their points from last season reduced by 44 points -- ruling them out of next season's Champions League.
    Sports newspapers reacted in different ways to the verdict. 'Scandal' was the main headline of Rome's 'Corriere dello Sport', a newspaper close to both Roman teams, Lazio and AS Rome.
    'Juventus' rage' was 'Tuttosport headline', a Turin sport newspaper.
    Juventus were stripped of their last two title wins -- from 2006 and 2005.
    All four clubs will start next season with points penalties with Juventus forced to begin their Serie B campaign with minus 30 points -- almost ensuring they will spend at least two seasons in Serie B.
    "Juventus will win the same, they will certainly go back to Serie A.. One year in a lower division will do nothing to Juventus, It can only do good to them", ironically said Rossella Bersani, another passer-by.
    In Serie B, Fiorentina begin on minus 12 and Lazio on minus seven.
    "I totally agree with the verdict. Everybody had to pay for what they did, even if Milan was more lucky than the other teams involved", said Marco Trotta, an AS Rome supporter, who will see his team promoted to next season's Champions League if the verdict will be upheld after appeal.
    The clubs have the opportunity to appeal the decision and all said they were ready to fight.
    Together the four clubs punished accounted for most of the players in the Italy team which on Sunday beat France to win the World Cup after a penalty shootout.
    Many of the top players from Juventus may seek new clubs either in Italy or elsewhere in Europe.
    The scandal broke in May with the publication of intercepted telephone conversations between a former Juventus official and Italian soccer authorities discussing refereeing appointments.
    As well as the clubs, the tribunal barred a number of club officials from the game for varying lengths.
    Former Juventus general manager Luciano Moggi, who was at the centre of the scandal, was banned from the game for five years and ex-Federation president Franco Carraro for four and a half years.
    Moggi said that no wrongdoing had been committed.
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