Soccer-Juventus confident of positive appeal verdict

ROME, Oct 11 (Reuters) Juventus chairman Giovanni Cobolli Gigli said today he was confident the club would have a match-fixing sentence reduced on appeal.

''We expect a substantial reduction of the penalty,'' Gigli told reporters after a two-hour appeals hearing at Italy's sports governing body CONI.

In July a sports tribunal stripped Juventus of their last two Serie A titles, sent them down to the second division Serie B, and gave them a 17 points penalty -- something Gigli said could be eased if not entirely annulled.

Juventus, whose former general manager Luciano Moggi was at the centre of the scandal, have complained they have been punished much more severely than the four other clubs implicated.

Juve were the only team of the five involved in the affair to be relegated from the top flight. AC Milan began the Serie A season with an eight-point penalty, Fiorentina began on minus 19 points with Lazio on minus 11. Reggina, the fifth top flight team embroiled in the scandal, were docked 15 points.

''The annulment of 17 penalty points? That's just a hope,'' Gigli was quoted as saying on the Web site of Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper.

A decision is expected by tomorrow at the latest.

REUTERS AY VC1712