Intro:

Juventus coach Antonio Conte appealed against match-fixing suspension in Rome on Monday.

Script:

Juventus coach Antonio Conte arrived on Monday at the Rome Football Federation Court to appear before the first hearing of his appeal - to have reduced or quashed the 10-month suspension he was sentenced to following his role in a match-fixing scandal.

The verdict could be delivered before the end of the week.

Siena player Emanuele Pesoli also arrived at court on Monday. He'd famously chained himself to the gate of the Italian Football Federation's (FIGC) headquarters in Rome, to protest against the court decision to give him a three-year suspension.

Conte, who led Juventus to the Serie A title last season, was punished for failing to report match-fixing in two games during the 2010-11 season when he was coach of then-Serie B side Siena.

Juventus released a statement immediately after the verdicts were announced, saying it has already begun preparing appeals for Conte and his assistant Angelo Alessio, who has been banned for eight months.