Published 11:46 IST, October 15th 2020
Juventus awarded 3-0 win over Napoli after Serie A rivals forfeited game over coronavirus
After Napoli failed to turn up for the Juventus vs Napoli game, Seria A's disciplinary body has awarded a 3-0 victory to the defending champions
- SportFit
- 3 min read
Serie A side Juventus have been awarded a 3-0 victory over Napoli after the visitors failed to turn up for the game. Additionally, Napoli have been docked one point off their league tally for failing to play the Juventus vs Napoli game on October 4. The ruling means that Juventus are in fourth place in the Serie A standings with seven points from three games, while Napoli are placed eight with five points from three games.
Napoli forfeit match controversy explained
The incident occurred when Napoli failed to travel to Turin for their game against Juventus on October 4. The visiting side had called for the Juventus vs Napoli game to be called off, after two players, Piotr Zielinski and Eljif Elmas, along with a member of the club’s staff had tested positive for COVID-19. Napoli also revealed that they weren’t allowed to travel to Turin, with the local authorities asking the players to stay at home according to the safety guidelines.
Despite multiple calls by Napoli to call of the game, both Serie A and Juventus when ahead with the preparations. Juventus players were seen training ahead of the Juventus vs Napoli encounter, with a starting line up announced for the game as well. The Juventus vs Napoli game was eventually called off by match officials 45 minutes after the kick-off time.
What is the ruling in the Napoli forfeit match incident?
After the case went to Serie A’s disciplinary tribunal, the body ruled in favour of Juventus, awarding the defending champions a 3-0 victory and punishing Napoli with a one-point deduction. The body in a statement said the case of force majeure could not be proven. In legal terminology, force majeure refers to an extraordinary or unforeseen event that allows both parties to be free from any liability or obligation.
The judge also refuted Napoli’s claims that they could not travel to Turin because of the directives issued by local health authorities. The judge indicated that while the situation that Napoli would not be able to travel for the Juventus vs Napoli game became evident only on the day of the match, the Naples club had decided much before that it won't be able to travel for the game. However, the decision taken by Serie A’s disciplinary body is not final, with Napoli indicating their intent to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport and then to CONI, which is the highest Italian sports authority.
Image Credits: Juventus Instagram, SSC Napoli Instagram
Updated 11:46 IST, October 15th 2020