MILAN (AP) — Napoli was handed a 3-0 loss by the Italian league on Wednesday and docked one point for not showing up for its Serie A match at Juventus because of coronavirus cases.
Napoli said it would appeal.
“Napoli has always respected the rules and the law,” the club said in a brief statement. “It awaits with faith the success of the appeal, firmly believing in justice.”
Napoli did not travel to Turin for the Oct. 4 game and local health authorities ordered the squad into quarantine after two players tested positive for the coronavirus.
However, the league's Disciplinary Commission ruled that Napoli did not have a valid reason for missing the fixture and should have followed the existing COVID-19 protocol, which was accepted by all clubs before the season began.
It said that the first orders by local health authorities on Oct. 3 did not stop Napoli from traveling to Turin, and that the team should already have been in the northern city when new orders were issued the following afternoon.
The Italian league’s protocol for coronavirus cases is the same as UEFA rules. If a team has 13 available players, including at least one goalkeeper, the game can go ahead.
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