Juventus ensured that many in the footballing world would hate them when they were heavily involved in the match fixing scandal that rocked Italian football in 2006.
Juve cheated their way to successive Serie A titles.
They were punished but after a series of appeals they were in a position to return to the big time within just a couple of years; finishing third in Serie A in 2008 and runners up in 2009.
They returned to the Champions League just two years after being found guilty of buying two league titles.
Had Juve’s initial punishment been upheld they would have, rightly, been finished as a major force in football for a few years. Being relegated two divisions and handed a 30 point penalty would have ensured that, even with a flawless few seasons it would have been 5 years or so before they returned to Serie A. Instead they now look set to be in contention for the league title in 2012 as well as looking good for a spot in the Coppa Italia final.
With Players such as Nedved, Buffon and Del Piero staying at the club they have given all the more reason to hate Juve. These are three of the most iconic players to have graced the pitch over the last decade and had they walked out, as Thuram, Ibrahimovic and Cannavaro did, they could have truly outed Juventus as the disgrace to Italian football that they are.
The Italian league and football in Italy is still tarnished by the actions of Juventus and a few others in the years leading up to the 2006 verdict but the impact on Juve is long gone. Just six years since being found guilty Juve will in all probability lift a trophy at the end of this season. If there was any justice they would be finished and be rotting away in the lower leagues of Italy with no hope of a return any time soon.