Juventus have been deducted 15 points by the Italian Football Federation, but why does the Old Lady find itself in hot water again?
Juventus are yet again engulfed in scandal having been deducted 15 points in Serie A for ‘financial irregularities’ and ‘false accounting’ in relation to past transfer dealings.
The ruling, which is much harsher than the nine-point deduction that was suggested by a leading football lawyer looking into the case, also comes with bans for multiple ex-board members.
Former chairman and European Super League advocate, Andrea Agnelli, who stepped down last November, has been banned from holding office in Italian football for 24 months, while Pavel Nedved has been banned for eight months.
Most notably, however, current Tottenham sporting director Fabio Paratici has been banned for 30 months.
As of yet, Tottenham haven’t released a statement.
WHY HAVE JUVENTUS BEEN DOCKED POINTS?
Unlike the ‘Calciopoli’ scandal, which saw Juventus relegated and stripped of two Serie A titles back in 2006, this is related to the Old Lady’s finances and Plusvalenza (capital gains), not bribing officials.
Plusvalenza is essentially the profit made from the sale of a player from one club to another.
Italian prosecutors took umbrage with several of Juventus’ dealings, including the now-infamous swap deal with Barcelona involving midfielders Arthur and Miralem Pjanic.
Of the 62 transfers investigated, 42 of them involved Juventus. Other clubs under investigation, Sampdoria, Pro Vercelli, Genoa, Parma, Pisa, Empoli, Novara, and Pescara – have all been acquitted.
The club are also being looked at for claiming to have saved €90 million (£78m/$97m) thanks to wage reductions back in 2020 due to COVID-19.
WHAT THEY SAID:
Juventus have denied any wrongdoing and have announced they will appeal the ruling.
“The Company awaits the publication of the reasons and announces as of now the appeal to the Sports Guarantee College in terms of the Sports Justice Code,” The club said in a press release.
THE BIGGER PICTURE:
The 15-point deduction sees Juventus drop down to 10th in Serie A. With their finances and reputation now in tatters, missing out on Champions League football could see an exodus of their star players.
WHAT’S NEXT FOR JUVENTUS?
Massimiliano Allegri now has the unenviable task of rallying his players in order to save their season. They face Atalanta at home on Sunday.
