Veron escapes ban and is free to join United

Manchester United expect to sign Juan Veron from SS Lazio this week after the Argentine midfielder escaped a ban for faking documents to gain Italian citizenship.

Veron is now to decide on whether to move to United but the deal is already in place with Lazio prepared to off load the midfielder following the passport scandal.

Veron and the Rome club's president Sergio Cragnotti were facing a two year ban that would taint their championship win of last season.

Veron, Sergio Cragnotti and directors Nello Governato and Felice Pulici all faced charges over falsifying documents to gain an Italian passport for the Argentine midfielder and flout Italian league rules on quotas for foreign players.

Pulici is set to be banned for two years.

The threat of a long ban for Veron halted United's interest but they now expect to see the midfielder banned for three months or less by the Italian league which will permit his move to England to go through.

Veron helped Lazio to their first title win since 1974 and an Italian Cup victory and has led them into title contention again this season.

The player's agent has been in talks with Manchester United over a £23 million transfer that depends on Veron escaping a long ban.

United denied media reports that they had signed Veron this month.

Director of communications, Patrick Harverson, said earlier this month: "Manchester United have not signed Juan Veron."

Veron does face civil trial on October 11th along with club president Sergio Cragnotti over his claims to be an Italian citizen.

Manchester United are to provide an escape route for the player to leave Italy after his last year with Lazio became dogged by charges that the Rome club and the player's agents conspired to falsify Italian citizenship documents.

Prosecutor for the Italian Football League's disciplinary committee Carlo Porceddu is presenting the case against Veron and Lazio today and what Porceddu does with the evidence will determine Veron's immediate future.

The player faces a two year ban which would be worldwide although a one year ban is more likely.

Porceddu has called for a two year ban on Inter star Alvaro Recoba for using a forged passport but the Veron case is more complicated.

Lazio and Veron applied for an Italian passport to allow the Rome club to field an extra non-EU player during their successful championship campaign last year.

Court hearings in March and April decided there had been wrongdoing after Lazio traced Veron's family tree to a great grandmother in southern Italy.

Veron denied in January that he wanted to leave Lazio and join Real Madrid but the club may be prepared to off load their midfield star to finance rebuilding under coach Dino Zoff in the summer.

One way to end the scandal is for Veron to leave Lazio and put the events of the last two years in the past although any buying club knows Veron is due in court to answer a case in October. The player has spent two seasons in Rome after a move from Parma AC for £18 million. Before that he was with Genoa side Sampdoria.

Veron helped Lazio to win the Italian championship last season but could move on in the summer now his principle agent Mascardi is in talks with United.

Porceddu has seen one year bans for AC Milan's Brazilian goalkeeper Dida and two former AS Roma players - Brazilian Fabio Junior currently with Palmeiras and Argentine forward Gustavo Bartelt.