Serie A contender Napoli has been deducted two points and fined $920,000 by the league’s National Disciplinary Committee, while team captain Paolo Cannavaro and vice-captainGianluca Grava have been suspended for six months for failing to report that former goalkeeper Mattia Gianello had approached them about fixing a game againstSampdoria in 2010. Gianello, who is currently with no club, has been banned for three years and three months. Even though Cannavaro and Grava refused to participate, they have been suspended for being“objectively responsible,” the committee said.
In a statement released on Tuesday, Napoli strongcondemned the actions taken by the committee. “The President Aurelio De Laurentiis, the coach Walter Mazzarri and the whole team are confident that noviolation can be attributed to SSC Napoli,” read a statement from Napoli’s official Web site. “While not entering into the obsolete and outdated principle of ‘objectiveresponsibility’ and reserving any comments and any legal action, SSC Napoli does not agree with the decision of the National Disciplinary committee.” The club has said it will now appeal thedecision, as have both Cannavaro and Grava.
In the meantime, the deduction has seen Napoli fall from third to fifth place in the Serie A standings.