Juventus await decision on appeal against 15-point deduction

ROME: Juventus are awaiting a ruling by Italy's top sports body over the club's appeal against a decision by soccer authorities to dock them 15 points in the current Serie A season, in a case centred on the club's transfer dealings.

Italy's Sports Guarantee Board held a hearing earlier on Wednesday and a decision was expected either later on Wednesday or on Thursday.

Juventus, the most successful soccer club in Italy, has appealed a sentence that Italy's soccer court issued in January following an investigation into the way the club and a number of other teams dealt with player exchange deals.

As part of the January's sentence, which left Juventus outside the qualifying spots for lucrative European competitions, the court also imposed bans from holding office in Italian soccer on 11 past and present club directors.

General Sport Prosecutor Ugo Taucer said during Wednesday's hearing that soccer prosecutors and its court had acted correctly but added the points penalty should be reassessed in a new ruling.

Juventus's lawyer Maurizio Bellacosa said January's sentence was "full of mistakes" and that it had to be cancelled.