Fiorentina and Lazio reprieved
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
Article summary
ACF Fiorentina and S.S. Lazio will play in Serie A next season following an appeal in Rome, although the relegation of Juventus was confirmed.
Article body
ACF Fiorentina and S.S. Lazio will both be playing alongside AC Milan in Serie A next season, although Juventus FC remain in Serie B after the federal court of appeal reduced their punishments for their involvement in the sporting fraud inquiry.
Clubs spared
Fiorentina and Lazio were both reinstated into the top flight having initially been demoted, although they have respectively seen their points deductions increased from 12 points to 19 and seven to eleven. Juventus, however, will remain in Serie B next season albeit with a reduced points penalty of minus 17 (from minus 30) and the court maintained the decision to strip them of their last two Serie A titles.
Milan in third
Milan had been the only club to survive the drop with a 15-point penalty for the start of the new campaign – cut to minus eight on appeal - and a 44-point deduction from the previous campaign. The retrospective points deduction has now been reduced to 30 leaving them in third place at the end of last season on 58 points.
‘Extraordinary extension'
Earlier today, UEFA revealed it had extended until Wednesday the deadline for the submission of the names of Italian clubs eligible to take part in the 2006/07 European club competitions following a request from the Italian Football Association. The list is required by UEFA to complete the preparations and seedings for Friday's draws in Nyon for the UEFA Champions League third qualifying round (12.00CET) and UEFA Cup second qualifying round (13.30).