Prosecution Concludes Juventus Doping Probe
Copyright � 2000 Nando Media
Copyright � 2000 Agence France-Presse
ROME (June 10, 2000 10:07 a.m. EDT http://www.sportserver.com) - Turin's public prosecutor, Raffaele Guariniello, has wrapped up his two-year investigation into alleged doping by players of Serie A giant Juventus and now plans to take the case to court, the weekly Panorama reported Saturday.
Guariniello began his inquiry in August 1998, the day after former AS Roma coach Zdenek Zeman of the Czech Republic made accusations that Juve players were taking banned substances.
The prosecutor intends to call before the court Juve's chief doctor, Riccardo Agricola, and club administrator Antonio Giraudo after investigators found drugs containing banned steroids and other illegal substances at the club's headquarters.
Guariniello claims that Agricola distributed these drugs to players despite the substances being banned by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
Juventus and Agricola strongly deny the allegations and stated that the judge possesses absolutely no proof to support the case.
