23 Aug 2012

Juve coach Conte loses appeal over 10-month ban

5:58 am on 23 August 2012

The Juventus football coach Antonio Conte is set to miss the whole of the Serie A season with the defending champions after losing his appeal against a 10-month ban over a match-fixing scandal.

Conte, who led an undefeated Juventus to the Italian title in his first season in charge last term, was banned in August for failing to report two incidents of match-fixing in the 2010-11 season when he was coach of then Serie B side Siena.

Juventus President Andrea Agnelli said the ruling confirmed the club's worst suspicions about Italy's football justice system which "seems more and more like a witch-hunt".

The Serie A season starts this weekend.