Atalanta penalized six points in Serie A

Atalanta will start the Serie A season with a six-point penalty for its role in the latest Italian match-fixing scandal, while its captain Cristiano Doni has been banned for three and a half years.

The Italian football federation's disciplinary committee issued the verdicts Tuesday after a lengthy investigation.

Retired player Giuseppe Signori, a former Lazio captain and Italy forward, was banned from football activities for five years, and Benevento goalkeeper Marco Paoloni, who allegedly drugged his teammates when he was with Cremonese last season, was also banned for five years.

Among lower-division teams, Benevento received a nine-point penalty, Ascoli was docked six points and Piacenza received a four-point penalty.