Juventus hit with 15-point penalty for false accounting

By ANDREW DAMPF
AP Sports Writer

ROME (AP) — Italy’s most storied soccer club Juventus has been hit with a massive 15-point penalty for false accounting following an appeal hearing at the Italian soccer federation. Juventus was third in Serie A. The penalty drops Juventus to midtable. It’s now 25 points behind leader Napoli and 12 points off Champions League places. Juventus will appeal to Italy’s highest sports court. Former Juventus president Andrea Agnelli was banned for two years. Similarly long bans were given to other members of Juve’s former board. The board resigned en masse in November following an investigation by Turin public prosecutors into alleged false bookkeeping. The longest ban of 2 ½ years went to former Juventus sporting director and current Tottenham managing director Fabio Paratici.