Lazio have officially qualified for the 2023-24 Champions League after the FIGC handed Juventus a 10-point deduction.
The Bianconeri were initially handed a 15-point penalty by the FIGC court for falsifying their capital gains back in January, but in April CONI’s Collegio di Garanzia decided to temporarily annul this punishment pending a third sporting trial.
On Monday 22nd May, Juventus’ third capital gains trial was heard at the FIGC court, and it was decided that the club would be docked 10 points for this Serie A season, a decision that saw them plummet from second in the Serie A table to seventh, taking them to 59 points.
This decision has had important ramifications for Lazio, as the team have now mathematically secured qualification to the Champions League. Maurizio Sarri’s side now sit second in the table with 68 points, seven ahead of fifth place Atalanta with two games left to play.
The handling of this case has drawn widespread condemnation from the greater footballing community in Italy, with even the famously anti-Juventus Jose Mourinho speaking out about the farcical nature of the FIGC’s actions.