Disgraced Italian football club Juventus is appealing its punishment for match fixing to a civil court, and risks further sanctions from the Italian federation and the world governing body, FIFA.
The Turin-based club was stripped of its last two Serie A titles, relegated to the second division, and docked 17 points for its part in a match fixing scandal.
Juventus said the penalty was too severe and started the appeal process before the Lazio regional court near Rome. A Juventus spokesman said Thursday's action merely notified the court of the club's intention to appeal but is not the official documentation. A hearing is scheduled for September 6.
The Italian Football Federation has threatened further sanctions for taking the matter to civil court, including deducting another three points.
The Italian governing body acted after FIFA threatened to bar all Italian teams - including clubs and the World Cup-winning national team - from international competition. Any suspension could derail Italy's qualifying campaign for the 2008 European Championships.
Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.