Juventus coach Antonio Conte has been banned for 10 months
Robin Van Persie can rule out going to Juventus.
Their manager, Antonio Conte was banned for 10 months following a sentencing handed down by the Italian Football Federation’s Disciplinary Committee on match fixing charges while he was coaching Siena. Juve will also be without assistant coach Angelo Alessio who was also suspended for eight months and member of the coaching staff, Cristian Stellini, left the club in disgrace after accepting a 30 month plea bargain.
The disciplinary committee reduced Conte’s sentencing by 5 months from the 15 months requested by the special prosecutor but rejected the manager’s 3 month €200,000 plea bargain.
This means Juventus has a coaching vacuum that needs to be addressed even before the season begins. Beppe Marotta, the GM who was totting up the amount needed for Robin Van Persie’s arrival at the club by offloading the deadwood in the club now has to turn his attention to who will fill Conte’s shoes should Juve fail in their appeal.
Marotta who was banking on €25m generated through sales of Milos Krasic, Felipe Melo, Eljero Elia, and a few others, might be able to meet Arsenal’s transfer fee demands for RVP but the question is whether the Dutch striker would now like to go to a club that faces coaching uncertainties or more largely to a league tainted yet again with a match fixing scandal that put the spotlight on Leonardo Bonucci and Simone Pepe, two of RVP’s potential team mates. Both were acquitted of charges but these cyclical binges of corruption surely plants seeds of doubt into RVP’s mind as to the stability and sanctity of the Serie.
With City seemingly on hold with any transfer activity much to the ire of Roberto Mancini that would leave Utd with their nose in front in courting RVP. Of course, the big questions is whether they can match Arsenal’s transfer fee. The other option is becoming more clear. Let RVP play out his final year at Arsenal and lets see what happens after that.