ROME — Juventus president Andrea Agnelli had his one-year ban for selling tickets to ultras lifted on Monday, but the Serie A club’s fine was doubled and it will have to play a match with one of its main sections closed.
Agnelli was banned for one year by the Italian soccer federation in September for his role in selling tickets to hardcore "ultra" fans that encouraged scalping. He was also fined 20,000 euros ($24,000).
The FIGC’s appeals court said it has changed Agnelli’s sanction "into a fine of 100,000 euros ($118,000) and a ban until today’s date."
Juventus, however, was fined 600,000 euros ($708,000) and will have its Curva Sud closed for the home match against Genoa on Jan. 22.
The federation’s prosecutor, Giuseppe Pecoraro, had requested a 2 1/2-year suspension for Agnelli and also appealed the original decision.
Agnelli allegedly authorized the sale of season passes and other tickets. He acknowledged meeting with Rocco Dominello, an ultra fan linked to the Calabrian ‘ndrangheta crime mob who has since been sentenced to nearly eight years in prison for scalping.
But Agnelli said the meetings came only with large numbers of other fans at celebratory occasions, and that the club never intended to engage in illegal activity.
The 42-year-old Agnelli has led Juventus, the club his family has owned for nearly a century, since 2010.
Anti-mafia prosecutors said the ‘ndrangheta was involved in scalping among Juventus ultra fans for at least 15 years, guaranteeing order in the stadium in exchange for open ticket access.
Juventus denied any wrongdoing.
Juventus security director Alessandro D’Angelo and ticketing director Stefano Merulla have had their suspensions and fines cancelled. D’Angelo was originally banned for 15 months, while Merulla had been handed a one-year suspension.
However, former marketing director Francesco Calvo had his appeal rejected and will be banned for one year and will have to pay a 20,000 euro ($24,000) fine.
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