Sports Desk
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
SOCCER
INTER MILAN HANDED JUVENTUS’S SERIE A TITLE Inter Milan was declared Serie A champion yesterday after a sports tribunal stripped Juventus of the title in Italy’s match fixing-scandal. The Italian soccer federation said the title was assigned to Inter because it was the highest-ranking team in the standings that had not been punished in the case. Inter finished third in the 2005–06 season, behind Juventus and AC Milan.
Juventus was relegated to Serie B and stripped of the title, while AC Milan was docked 30 points for the past season. An appeals court Tuesday also upheld a decision by a lower sports court to strip Juventus of the 2004–05 league title.That title will remain vacant, the soccer federation said.
Despite the final appeals rulings in the case, Juventus, Lazio, and Fiorentina say they will continue to fight the penalties they received. Juventus plans to go to court to contest its relegation. Juventus was largely unsuccessful in its appeal against the July 14 ruling, which relegated it to the second division. Its points penalty for next season was reduced to 17 from 30.AC Milan, spared demotion from Serie A, was reinstated to the Champion’s League and had its point penalty for next season reduced from 15 to 8. In the earlier ruling, Fiorentina was sent down to Serie B and given a 12-point penalty while Lazio was demoted and docked seven points.
FOOTBALL
BENGALS’ THURMAN SUSPENDED FOUR GAMES Bengals middle linebacker Odell Thurman was suspended yesterday for the first four games of the season because he violated the NFL’s substance abuse policy, the latest blow to a team already stung by player arrests.
Four others have been arrested in separate incidents during the last two months, focusing attention on Cincinnati’s willingness to draft players with troubled pasts.The latest transgression will cost the Bengals one of their top playmakers on defense. Thurman, a second-round draft pick out of Georgia last year, led the team in tackles and had five interceptions as a rookie.
CYCLING
UNIDENTIFIED RIDER TESTED POSITIVE AT TOUR DE FRANCE An unidentified cyclist tested positive for doping during the Tour de France, widening the scandal that gripped this year’s race before it began. The rider’s name, team and nationality will not be released until the testing process is completed, including the analysis of a backup sample, the International Cycling Union said yesterday.
The sport’s governing body did say, however, that the rider’s team and national federation were notified, as well as national and world anti-doping authorities. USA Cycling has not been contacted by UCI, spokesman Andy Lee said. U.S. Anti-Doping Agency spokeswoman Carla O’Connell said that group had no comment.
American cyclist Floyd Landis won the Tour de France on Sunday, keeping the title in U.S. hands for the eighth straight year. Lance Armst rong, long dogged by doping whispers and reports that he has vehemently denied, won the previous seven.
— Associated Press