Football
Ben Gladwell, Italy correspondent 9y

Many Juventus supporters to miss potential Serie A title triumph

Many Juventus fans are not going to witness their side's potential 31st Serie A title triumph after being banned from both visiting Sampdoria this weekend and from the Bianconeri's final two home games of the season.

Juve need just a point to clinch a fourth straight Serie A title, but the trouble which overshadowed their defeat to Torino in the Turin derby last weekend has led to the Lega Serie A banning fans from attending both this weekend's match at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris, as well as the subsequent two games at the Juventus Stadium against Cagliari and Napoli.

"Juventus are obliged to stage two games with the sector of the Juventus Stadium named the 'Settore Sud' remaining free from spectators, while they have been fined €50,000," read a disciplinary statement from the Lega Serie A on Thursday.

The Lega Serie A, with the assistance of the local police and security forces, was able to ascertain that a cherry bomb which exploded among Torino fans -- injuring 10 spectators -- had been thrown from the area of the Stadio Olimpico occupied by Juve's ultra fans.

Torino have also been fined €50,000 for their failure to stop those people from entering the stadium with incendiary devices.

As a result, Juve's remaining two Serie A games in Turin against Cagliari and Napoli will be played with only three quarters of the Juventus Stadium full. Should they wrap up the title, they will receive the trophy in front of a quarter-empty stadium.

Juve general manager Beppe Marotta had already expressed his concern that honest fans may be made to pay for the actions of a minority.

"There's the risk that 10,000 fans get penalised for acts undertaken by around a hundred people," Marotta told Sky Sport Italia. "We've publicly condemned the violent actions. Football should be seen as a moment of joy, and often a whole group of people risks being penalised."

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