Juventus to fight on over 2006 title
Reuters - Wednesday 10 August 2011, 15:49
ROME - Juventus are to fight on
in their battle over the 2006 Serie A title being assigned to
Inter Milan, saying they will appeal last month's decision
confirming their rivals as champions.
The Turin club, stripped of the 2004/05 and 2005/06 titles
over the 'Calciopoli' match-fixing scandal, said on Wednesday
they would take the matter to the Italian National Sports
Tribunal (Tnas).
Club president Andrea Agnelli added: "We'll forward our
petitions to the Director of Public Prosecutions... to the
Prefect in Rome, to the Ministry of Interior, to the Management
Control Officer at CONI (Italian Olympic Committee) and to the
UEFA Executive Committee.
"This is just the beginning of our actions, and there could
be more in the future," he told a news conference.
Inter Milan were confirmed as 2006 champions after the
Italian football federation (FIGC) said it did not have the
authority to revoke the decision of five years ago which
stripped Juventus of the title and awarded the scudetto to the
side which finished third.
The decision came after FIGC lawyers decided not to pursue
Juventus' claim against Inter on the grounds that any potential
charges had expired under the sporting statute of limitations.
Juventus demanded the 2006 title be taken away from Inter
after a Naples court investigating the case heard evidence last
year that Inter were involved in the scandal, which revolved
around clubs influencing the selection of referees.
Inter, never previously linked to the affair, deny
wrongdoing.
Juventus, Italy's best supported and most successful club,
were also demoted when Calciopoli broke five years ago although
they won promotion back to Serie A at the first attempt.
Second-placed Milan, Fiorentina, Lazio and Reggina were also
docked points for influencing the appointment of favoured
referees.
Since the scandal, twice European champions Juventus have
failed to hit their previous heights and last season finished
outside the European places in seventh position.
The 2004/5 title was not re-assigned.