Juventus files another appeal

Turin-based soccer club Juventus, caught inItaly's match-fixing scandal,appealed its punishment to the Italian Olympic Committee's arbitration court on Tuesday.

Last month, an Italian sports tribunal relegated Juventus to Serie B, Italy's second division, and slapped the club with a 30-point penalty before an appeals courtreduced the penalty to 17 points. The appeals court also upheld the original decision to strip Juventus of the two league titles it won in the 2004-05 and 2005-06 seasons.

After the second ruling, Juventus said the sanctions were still "excessive" and vowed to appeal "through all possible courts."

The Olympic committee's board of conciliation and arbitration is the highest body in Italian sports justice and has the power to uphold or rescind sanctions in sporting disputes. Recourse to the board is mandatory before any appeals to the civil courts.

The Olympic committee said a ruling willbe issued by Aug. 25.

The Fiorentina and Lazio clubs are also expected to appeal their punishments, which includea ban from European club competition for the upcoming season. Fiorentina was also docked 19 points and Lazio 11 in Italy's Serie A, the first division.

AC Milan, another club involved in the scandal, said it did not immediately plan any further appeals. The team had its points penalty for next season cut to eight from 15 last week on appeal.

Civil action could delay season

Any appeals through the Italian civil justice system could delay the start of the 2006-07 soccer season, which is scheduled for Aug. 28.

The original verdict in the match-fixing scandal came five days after Italy won the World Cup in Germany on July 9. Thirteen of the players on Italy's 23-man roster play for the four penalized teams.

High-ranking Italian soccer officials also received personal punishments.

Franco Carraro, chief of the Italian soccer league and a member of the International Olympic Committee, was banned from soccer for 4½ years. Former Juventus general manager Luciano Moggi was issued a five-year suspension.

Moggi and another former Juventus executive were accused of creating a network of contacts with soccer federation officials to help influence referee assignments for their matches.

Officials from AC Milan, Lazio and Fiorentina were also implicated in the probe.

Juventus and Fiorentina also lost their spots in next season's Champions League, a tournament featuring the top European club teams. The event is a lucrative revenue source for soccer clubs through prize money, broadcast revenue and gate income.