TheCable

Juventus football club have been handed a fifteen-point deduction penalty by the Italian football court.

The penalty was announced by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) on Friday.

Juventus had been accused of false accounting from transfer dealings late last year, resulting in the resignation of the club’s board of directors.

Andrea Agnelli, the club’s president for 12 years, also resigned alongside his lieutenants.

Following the mass resignation, UEFA also opened investigations into financial fair play violations against the two-time UEFA champions league winners.

Similarly, Italian prosecutors approached the soccer court for points deduction and potential prosecution of Agnelli.

While the club denied any wrongdoing, it has now been handed a 15-point deduction that could potentially exclude it from European competition next season.

The prosecutor had asked for a nine-point deduction.

According to ESPN, the special court also banned Agnelli from holding any football position in Italy for two years, while Fabio Paratici, the club’s former sporting director, got a 30-month ban.

Several other clubs including Sampdoria, Empoli, Genoa, Parma, Pisa, Pescara, Pro Vercelli and Novara were cleared of any wrongdoing.

Juventus, joint-third on the Serie A log with 37 points, will drop to tenth place and 22 points with the ruling.

They host Ademola Lookman’s Atalanta on Sunday.