Juventus could be expelled from next season's Serie A if the club persist with their plans to be a part of the renegade European Super League proposal, according to Italian football federation chief Gabriele Gravina.
Juve remain the last Italian side to have stay faithful to the crumbling Super League after both AC and Inter Milan backed away from the controversial plan which threatened to impose a civil war atop the European football pyramid.
But according to Gravina, unless the most successful side in Italian football history issues a formal rebuke of the plan, their time in Serie A will come to an end.
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Juventus will be kicked out of Serie A if they do not withdraw from the 'European Super League' pic.twitter.com/cugyvOAbhu
"The rules are clear. If Juventus is still part of the Super League when it enters next season, it can't participate in Serie A," Gravina told Italian radio station Kiss Kiss.
"I would be sorry for the fans but rules are rules and they apply to everyone. I hope this holdout ends soon."
Juventus are among a trio of clubs - including Real Madrid and Barcelona - to have stuck with the Super League proposal after a host of the previously announced founding members pulled back amid intense scrutiny from fans, media and in some cases, governments.
The trio issued a joint statement over the weekend in which they hit out at the "intolerable" pressure they were being placed under due to their continued association with the Super League project.
UEFA have said that the three clubs will be subject to "appropriate action", but the clubs involved warned European football's governing body to back off and instead discuss "systemic crisis in the football sector".
Nine of the twelve initial clubs have reaffirmed their backing for UEFA and have pledged to do all in their power to end any lingering association with the formation of the Super League.
There has also been speculation that Juventus, Barcelona and Real Madrid may be expelled from next season's Champions League - but in Juventus' case qualification isn't even assured in the current league standings, with the club currently one point outside the top four with three games remaining.
Juventus have been subject to penalties from the Italian football federation in the past. In 2006 they were relegated to Serie B as punishment for their involvement in a match-fixing scandal.
