Napoli floors Serie A at tribunal, to play Juventus on a later date

  High flying Napoli won their appeal against Serie A's verdict after they didn't show up against Juventus following COVID-19 scare....

 

High flying Napoli won their appeal against Serie A's verdict after they didn't show up against Juventus following COVID-19 scare. (Photo credit: @ssnapoli241)

The ANSA news agency said the Italian Olympic Committee's Guarantee Board, the highest tribunal in Italian sport, had accepted Napoli's appeal and ordered that the match be played.

Napoli did not travel to Turin for the game on Oct 4., saying their local health authority (ASL) had told the players to stay at home after two members of their squad tested positive for COVID-19.

Serie A turned down Napoli's request to call the game off and the league's disciplinary tribunal subsequently handed them a 3-0 defeat and deducted one point.

"We are happy," said Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis. "We live in a country where those who respect the laws cannot be convicted. And Napoli always follow the rules." Juventus director of football Fabio Paratici shrugged off the verdict. 

 

"The first comment to make is that we have always been indifferent to the matter," he said. "When they tell us to play we will go and play -- having said that we were also there on 4 October." 

Before Tuesday's decision, Juventus were third on 27 points, with AS Roma on 24 and Napoli on 23.