WITH World Cup victory celebrations still echoing through the streets of Italy, a sports tribunal in Rome last night shattered a nation’s euphoria by demoting three top Serie A teams for their involvement in a match-fixing scandal.

Juventus, Italy’s most successful club, were plunged into a nightmare scenario. As well as being relegated to Serie B, they were given a 30-point penalty, which means that they have no hope of immediate promotion and may even have to battle against relegation to Serie C.

The Turin club, whose former general manager, Luciano Moggi, was said to be the ringleader of the match-fixing network, were also stripped of the championships they have won in the past two seasons. Resisting calls for leniency, the five-man panel from the Italian FA also sent Lazio and Fiorentina down to Serie B. They will start next season with seven and 12-point deductions respectively. All four clubs lost their places in European competition next season as the authorities cracked down on corruption

AC Milan, owned by Silvio Berlusconi, the former Prime Minister, will be allowed to stay in Serie A, but with a 15-point penalty, which will probably put them out of contention for a Champions League place. Thirteen of the 23-man Italy squad that won Sunday’s World Cup final play for the disgraced clubs.

The sentences, read out in a Rome hotel by Cesare Ruperto, the tribunal head, were lighter than those requested by the federation prosecutor last week. He had urged that Juventus be relegated to the third division.

The trial focused on the repeated attempts of club executives to interfere with the selection of officials who, according to prosecutors, were relied upon to affect results thanks to apparently minor decisions. Moggi was banned from taking any job in football for five years. He resigned soon after the scandal broke, as did Antonio Giraudo, the Juventus managing director, who received the same punishment.

The tribunal also punished many of the 25 executives, federation officials, referees and linesmen accused of being involved. They all denied charges of sporting fraud and unfair conduct. Clubs and individuals have five days to appeal.

THE FALLOUT

AC MILAN: 15-point deduction. Not relegated

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