Pessotto attempts suicide?

Juventus' problems deepened today as team manager Gianluca Pessotto was described as being in a critical condition after jumping from his second floor office in an apparent suicide attempt.

The 35-year-old former Italy international defender, who was appointed to the post only last month, apparently climbed onto the window sill of his office, holding a set of rosary beads, and jumped off, bouncing off one car and onto another.

He was treated at the scene almost immediately and then taken by ambulance to hospital suffering from multiple fractures.

Pessotto, who won the 1996 Champions League with Juventus and played for them for 11 seasons retiring at the end of the last campaign, had apparently been on his own in his office at Juventus at the time of his fall.

News of Pessotto's being taken to hospital reached the Italian World Cup camp in Germany and a press conference called on the day after the team defeated Australia 1-0 to reach the quarter-finals was cut short. Azzurri captain and Juventus defender Fabio Cannavaro walked out the conference when he heard from journalists about Pessotto's fall.

Pessotto is not among those facing charges at the tribunal.