Antonio Conte Suspension Throws Juventus' Season into Disarray

Juventus manager Antonio Conte on Friday received a 10-month ban for his role in the latest Italian match-fixing scandal.

Suddenly, Juventus' resurgence and once-promising new season are in shambles.

Six years after losing two Serie A titles and being demoted to Serie B in a separate match-fixing scandal, Juventus finds itself in trouble again. This time, though, it's through no direct fault of the club's own.

Conte has been suspended for his failure to report two incidents of match-fixing from the 2010-11 season, when he managed Siena in Serie B. Conte's assistant Angelo Alessio received an eight-month suspension.

Juventus players Leonardo Bonucci and Simone Pepe have been cleared of any wrongdoing. The case's prosecutor had reportedly asked for a 42-month suspension for Bonucci and a one-year ban for Pepe, according to the Associated Press (via Sports Illustrated).

Juventus released the kind of statement one might expect following such weighty news (via Juventus.com):

"

Juventus Football Club is extremely satisfied with the acquittal of footballers Leonardo Bonucci and Simone Pepe. Furthermore, the club underlines its full support for Antonio Conte and Angelo Alessio, in the hope that their innocence will emerge during the appeals process.

"

Appeals are set for Aug. 20.

Juventus sporting director Giuseppe Marotta underlined the club's commitment to Conte, calling Conte "our leader" (via Juventus.com). Even so, the news and the suspension are damaging.

The Bianconeri had only just returned to the top of Italian football, winning the Scudetto in 2011-12 for the first time since being demoted to Serie B following the 2006 scandal.

Conte's ban will last 10 months, but in effect will be a season-long suspension. His absence—and that of Alessio, his assistant—for an entire season can only hurt Juventus' resurgence.

What's more, Conte's ban could hurt Juventus in the transfer market. If the Bianconeri had any chance remaining of signing Arsenal's Robin van Persie—and that wasn't looking likely—that chance has now evaporated.

Other players who might have been considering a move to Turin might now hesitate to join a club that will not have its manager this season.

The Serie A season begins in two weeks, and unless an unlikely reversal is granted, Italy's defending champions will start a long campaign without the architect of their recent resurgence.

That's painful for any club, and especially for a club of Juventus' recent history.

It's unlikely that Juventus will suffer as much as six years ago. The team won't be demoted to Serie B, and the star players will stick around.

But Friday's news potentially set back the club's progress for at least 10 months.

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