Juve stadium ban upheld

| Sat, 05/16/2009 - 03:02

Juventus is playing Sunday's home match against Atalanta behind closed doors after a sports tribunal confirmed a stadium ban for racist abuse of Inter Milan's Mario Balotelli last month.

The Italian Olympic Committee's High Court of Justice rejected the Turin club's second appeal against an April 20 sentence imposed after fans abused the Ghanaian Italian striker during a 1-1 draw in Turin.

Juventus said Thursday night it would now accept the ban.

The club had previously argued it was being singled out and that the measure would unfairly disrupt its Serie A run-in where it is fighting to keep second place.

Juventus are only three points ahead of fourth-placed Fiorentina.

Third place means automatic Champions League qualification while fourth puts a team into the League's qualifying round.

Leaders Inter Milan, seven points ahead of AC Milan, are widely expected to take their fourth straight scudetto this weekend.

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