Galliani's match-fixing penalty reduced by four months

AC Milan vice president Adriano Galliani had his nine-month penalty for his role in Italy's match-fixing scandal reduced to five months Monday by an independent arbitration board.

Photo: Galliani's match-fixing penalty reduced by four months

Galliani, who was sanctioned for allegedly approving a club official's dealings to have certain referees assigned to Milan's games, has already served the majority of his sentence and will "resume his full position with the Rossoneri" after Christmas, AC Milan said.

The 62-year-old Galliani was also ordered to pay Ђ25,000 (US$33,000) to the Italian soccer federation for the promotion of youth projects.

Galliani was one of 19 soccer officials and referees sanctioned by a sports tribunal in July in the scandal which led to Juventus being stripped of its 2005 and 2006 Serie A titles and demoted to Serie B with a points penalty.

Five other clubs escaped relegation but also received points penalties including Milan, which was docked eight points, reports AP.

Galliani had already had his ban reduced from one year by an earlier appeal's ruling in July.

The arbitration board, set up by the Italian Olympic Committee in September, is the highest body in Italian sports justice.