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Juventus could face new sanctions
 Juve president Cobolli Gigli and his board had planned an appeal to the TAR. ROME, Italy -- The Italian football federation has told FIFA that it will impose extra sanctions on Juventus if the club turn to a civil court to try to overturn their relegation after a match-fixing scandal. The letter, confirmed by the Italian federation (FIGC), said they would not "hesitate to launch the sanction process" if Juve lodge an appeal with the regional Lazio court, as they have said they will. The federation was responding to pressure from the world's ruling body. FIFA had threatened to suspend the Italian federation if it failed to take a tougher line with Juventus. Early on Wednesday FIFA said: "We have given the FIGC until midday today (1000 GMT) to tell us how they are going to convince, or prevent Juventus from appealing their case in the Italian courts." FIFA, under their rules, have the power to hand over the whole affair to its Emergency Committee which has the authority to rule on an "eventual suspension of the Italian federation", according to Herren. That scenario would mean that clubs and the country's various national selections would be banned from participating in international competition. The FIGC reacted quickly, however, saying it agreed with FIFA's stance. It said clubs who have been sanctioned by sporting authorities cannot then turn to the civil courts. In a statement to Italian news agency ANSA, the FIGC said: "The federation will not hesitate in sanctioning clubs who have infringed article 27 of its rules, which forbids clubs taking cases to the civil courts and which states that whoever does so can be sanctioned." Only avenueArticle 61-2 of FIFA's rules also states that appealing to civil courts is forbidden and that the only avenue remaining is the Lausanne-based Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). A soccer tribunal ruling on the match-fixing scandal stripped Juve of their last two Italian titles and demoted them to the second division, where they will start next season minus 17 points. A FIGC official said the federation could deduct three more points if Juve go ahead with the appeal, leaving them at minus 20. Juventus officials were not immediately available for comment Four other clubs implicated in the scandal -- AC Milan, Lazio, Fiorentina and Reggina -- all maintained their Serie A status but were handed points penalties for the new season. On Monday Juventus president Giovanni Cobolli Gigli and his board decided to appeal to the civil courts in the shape of TAR, the Regional Administrative Court of Lazio, which has the authority to overturn rulings made by sports federation bodies. He told reporters then that the club were aware they could incur extra sanctions but would "assume their responsibilities". Juventus say the FIGC punishment is too harsh and that their relegation, which has resulted in top players leaving the club, would have serious consequences on their income. If they go ahead with the appeal and are successful in getting the regional court to suspend their punishment, that could further delay the start of the season, which has already been put back by two weeks to September 9-10. The FIGC added in their statement that Juventus had not yet formally appealed to the TAR to hear its case. 
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