Italian football has once again been hit by another damaging scandal, with Juventus boss Antonio Conte banned for a staggering 10 months for his role in match-fixing. The 43-year-old is guilty of failing to report fixing when he was in charge of Siena during the 2010/11 Serie B season. Conte’s plea bargain of a three-month suspension and €200,000 fine was rejected by the Italian football federation Commission earlier this month, meaning he will be out of the game until June 2013.
This latest scandal does nothing to restore the negative perceptions of Italian football, only adding to the controversy and ignominy surrounding the Italian game. The shocking news will no doubt stun Juventus, the 2012 Serie A champions, who head into the new campaign looking to retain the title they won in fine fashion last season. The Old Lady stormed to the title without even losing a single match, an impressive feat for any side. Only time will tell if this setback will impact negatively on the field, with Juve currently the 11/10 favourites with Paddy Power to win their 29th Serie A title.
The club is no stranger to controversy having been previously condemned for their part in the Calciopoli scandal back in 2006. Juve suffered the embarrassment of being demoted to Serie B as well as being stripped of two Serie A titles.
