ROME, June 13 - Italian Serie B side Arezzo failed in their bid to escape relegation to the third division on Wednesday after a civil court upheld the penalty handed down to them in last year's match-fixing scandal.

Last August, a sports court ordered the Tuscan club to start the 2006-07 season on minus six points after they were found guilty of seeking favours from referees.

They finished the season inside the Serie B relegation zone, three points from safety.

Wednesday's decision by a regional court in Lazio effectively ended their hopes of avoiding the drop.

Several other clubs, including Serie A giants Juventus, AC Milan, Fiorentina and Lazio, were also punished in last year's scandal, but Arezzo were the only ones to take their appeal to the civil courts.