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ITALIAN CLUBS TO APPEAL FURTHER

Three of the four Serie A clubs implicated in the match fixing scandal are to pursue their appeals in the civil courts. All four clubs had their punishments reduced at an initial appeal held by the FIGC sports court in Rome on Tuesday.

Juventus who were initially relegated with 30-point penalty; are now still in Serie B but with 17-point deduction and three-match stadium ban. Lazio and Fiorentina have been reinstated to Serie A (after having initially been relegated) but have had their points deductions increased from 12 to 19 for Fiorentina and seven to 11 for Lazio. Juventus club chairman Giovanni Cobolli Gigli said in a statement: "We absolutely cannot accept this sentence. For this reason we have decided to push our case in every possible forum."

AC Milan is the only club to express satisfaction at the appeals process. The club had been allowed to stay in Serie A but with 15-point penalty but this was cut to just eight-points on appeal and the club will be allowed to compete in the Champions League. It will have a one-match stadium ban.

Uefa had extended its deadline for national associations to submit the teams which will play the European competitions this season to allow Italy to resolve the match fixing appeals process. Italy's representatives in the Champions League will be Inter Milan, Roma, Chievo and AC Milan. The Uefa Cup teams will be Palermo, Livorno and Parma.