Allegri urges players to move on after Juve’s 15 points deduction

Juventus head coach Massimiliano Allegri PHOTO:AFP

Juventus manager, Massimiliano Allegri has urged his team to “do their duty” on the pitch after Friday’s points deduction by Italy’s football federation (FIGC).

Juventus were docked 15 points following an investigation into the club’s past transfer dealings.

The Serie A giants were accused of fixing their balance sheets by artificial gains from club transfers.

It drops them down from third to 10th place in the table.

Juventus have denied any wrongdoing and confirmed that they will appeal against the decision to the Sport Guarantee Board of the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI).

“We have to regroup and think only of matters on the pitch,” said Allegri before today’s Serie A match at home to fifth-placed Atalanta.

“We don’t have to think about starting again. The legal proceedings concern the company and there will be an appeal. The standings say that at the moment we have 22 points and we have to try to earn results and make up positions.

“We must continue to do our duty because the sentence is in two months’ time and we must have no regrets when the verdict comes.”

The club’s board of directors, including former president, Andrea Agnelli and vice-president, Pavel Nedved, resigned in November.

The FIGC’s sanction is tougher than the nine-point deduction prosecutors had requested.

The financial and legal issues facing Juventus Allegri added that not all was lost for Juventus, who face French club, Nantes in a two-legged Europa League play-off next month for a place in the last 16 and will meet Lazio in the Coppa Italia quarter-finals on February 2.

“I have learned that all situations must be transformed into opportunities,” he added.

“We have the Europa League, we have the Coppa Italia