ITALY: FOOTBALL/SOCCER: An angry Juventus coach Antonio Conte has hit out against the decision to ban him for 10 months calling it "a disgrace"

Record ID: 822246

  • Title: ITALY: FOOTBALL/SOCCER: An angry Juventus coach Antonio Conte has hit out against the decision to ban him for 10 months calling it "a disgrace"
  • Date: 23rd August 2012
  • Summary: TURIN, ITALY (AUGUST 23, 2012) (REUTERS) JUVENTUS COACH ANTONIO CONTE ARRIVING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) JUVENTUS COACH ANTONIO CONTE SAYING: "It's absurd, all of this is absurd. The Juventus people, the fans, all fans, need to know what has happened to me, what they are doing to me, because it is a disgrace, it's a disgrace." MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (Itali
  • Embargoed: 7th September 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Italy
  • Country: Italy
  • Topics: Crime / Law Enforcement,Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA8L564RMT8YQ3XZMCU839TGLGS
  • Story Text: Emotional Juventus coach Antonio Conte, shouting at the top of his voice in an angry news conference in Turin, on Thursday (August 23) labelled his 10-month ban for not reporting match-fixing "absurd".
    Conte, who led an undefeated Juve to the Serie A title last term in his first season in charge, lost his appeal this week against being found guilty of permitting illegal betting while Siena coach in Serie B.
    He was cleared of wrongdoing in one of the two Siena matches probed.
    Juve, who have installed assistant Massimo Carrera as temporary coach with the season starting this weekend, are appealing to a higher sports court after failing to overturn the ban at the Italian soccer federation (FIGC).
    "It's absurd, all of this is absurd. The Juventus people, the fans, all fans, need to know what has happened to me, what they are doing to me, because it is a disgrace, it's a disgrace" Conte told reporters at Juve's training ground outside Turin.
    "I have always behaved appropriately, always, despite the pain and despite knowing I was having to put up with a tremendous injustice, tremendous injustice" Conte said.
    The Siena matches that came under scrutiny for illegal betting were against Novara and Albinoleffe in May 2011. FIGC's appeals tribunal said on Wednesday that Conte had been acquitted over the Novara game but the 10-month ban should stay for the Albinoleffe affair.
    "It is seven months, seven months, seven months that I have been on the newspaper front pages, on every news bulletin headline, either state or private. Seven months that my face has been associated with soccer matchfixing," Conte said.
    "I have never betted in my life" he added.
    Three Juventus lawyers sitting by Conte and assistant Angelo Alessiom, who has also been banned, launched into long diatribes about the decision not fully to acquit Conte.
    They told Thursday's news conference that evidence used in the case against Conte came from a discredited player who could not be trusted. The FIGC disputes this.
    Juve, although not directly involved this time, have a history of having to deal with match-fixing. Italy's best supported and most successful team domestically were demoted in a 2006 affair and struggled for years before last term's triumph.
    Despite Conte's ban, Juventus remain favourites with Italian bookmakers to retain their title this season after AC Milan engaged in cost-cutting and Inter Milan endured another difficult campaign last term.
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