Deductions predicted for quartet

There is heavy speculation in the Italian media that Fiorentina will have seven points shaved off their 19-point penalty.

The four clubs involved in the first wave of the Calciopoli scandal – Juventus, Milan, Lazio and Fiorentina – put their cases forward to the CONI Conciliation Committee this week.

It’s claimed that the Viola’s lawyers may have done enough to cut their handicap in the current Serie A season to 12 points. “Our line of defence is very convincing,” assured representative Alberto Bruni.

If the CONI accept the proposals, the charges for sporting fraud in the Lecce-Parma game would be reduced to mere disloyal behaviour. Not only would this cut their penalty, but it’d also effectively clear the Fiorentina directors of intentionally trying to fix a result.

“Fiorentina are not guilty of any wrongdoing, that is why we do not want to hear the word discount – we want the punishment to be cancelled,” added Bruni, the club’s lawyer. “I have trust in the court of arbitration and we gave them all the documents we prepared. For the first time I felt that I was facing people who were willing to listen to us, as this had never happened in front of the CAF and the Federal Court.

“If our request is not granted, we are willing to continue our battle and cannot exclude that we will appeal to the TAR civil court. I hope that will not be the case, but we are ready to fight if needs be.”

It’s also rumoured that the other trio will receive a discount of 30 per cent on their deductions. Juventus would therefore have five points restored, going from a -17 starting place to -12. Lazio could get four points handed back from the original -11 judgment and Milan would go from -8 to -6.

The verdicts are expected to be handed out at the end of this month.