Deschamps says he been asked to coach relegated Juventus

ROME, June 20 (Reuters) Former France captain Didier Deschamps said he has been asked to coach Juventus if the Serie A team are relegated in the match-fixing scandal that is shaking Italian football.

Deschamps, who played for Juventus for five seasons in the late 1990s, told La Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper that the club had contacted him to replace coach Fabio Capello if they were demoted to Serie B in a trial due to start next week.

''Juve had already lined me up,'' said Deschamps, who confirmed last week on French television that he had flown to Turin to talk to club officials.

Deschamps, currently without a club, led Monaco to the Champions League final in 2004 and captained France to World Cup glory in 1998. No one in Italy expects Capello to stay if Juventus are sent down.

''I'm happy to lead the team in any division,'' Deschamps said in comments printed today.

Juventus are at the heart of investigations by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) and four public prosecutors into match-fixing, criminal association and false accounting.

Yesterday the magistrate leading the FIGC's investigation, Francesco Borrelli, handed over a 190-page report to federation prosecutor Stefano Palazzi, who is expected by Friday to order teams and officials to stand trial for sporting fraud.

Newspapers said Borrelli's most trenchant criticism was aimed at Juventus and that former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's AC Milan also came under fire.

''Juventus are undoubtedly in the most dangerous position and risk demotion to Serie B,'' La Gazzetta dello Sport said.

Juventus were the first big Italian team to get sucked into the affair after the publication of intercepted telephone conversations between their former general manager Luciano Moggi and senior FIGC officials discussing refereeing appointments for games during the 2004-05 season.

'MILAN ALSO AT RISK' Although Juventus have not admitted to any wrongdoing, Fiat's heir John Elkann, whose family controls the club, said last week that the Italian champions had behaved reprehensibly.

Phone taps showed Leonardo Meani, a member of AC Milan's management, spoke to the official assigning linesmen in April 2005, complaining about a linesman after Milan lost to Siena. Meani and Milan have denied any wrongdoing.

REUTERS AY PM1752