Juventus hit with 15-point penalty for false accounting

ROME (AP) — Juventus was hit with a massive 15-point penalty for false accounting Friday following an appeal hearing at the Italian soccer federation.

The punishment could eliminate the club’s chances of playing in Europe next season. Juventus was third in Serie A and 10 points behind Italian league leader Napoli. The penalty drops the Bianconeri into the bottom half of the standings.

Also, former Juventus president Andrea Agnelli was banned for two years from soccer activities and similarly long bans were handed out for other members of Juve’s former board, which resigned en masse in November following an investigation by Turin public prosecutors into alleged false bookkeeping.

Juventus has denied wrongdoing and was initially cleared by the sports court in April. But an appeal was made after the federation collected papers from the Turin prosecutors.

Juventus can appeal the decision to Italy’s highest sports court within the Italian Olympic Committee.

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