Juventus to stand new trial over alleged salary wrongdoing, undue links with other teams

MILAN – Italy’s football association (FIGC) said on Friday that Juventus will have to stand a sports trial for alleged irregularities in the club’s payments to players, as well as undue relationships with players’ agents and other clubs.

The new trial, which could result in further sporting penalties, including more points deductions, adds to a separate one the club are already facing, for which a new ruling is expected on Monday.

As part of the ongoing case, centred on the club’s transfer dealings, Juventus were given a 15-point penalty in January which was later scrapped by Italy’s top sports body, which ordered football authorities to hold a new hearing.

With three games left to play this season, Juve are second in Serie A with 69 points, behind champions Napoli. Any points deduction could push Juve, Italy’s most successful club, out of the qualifying spots for lucrative European competitions.

On Thursday, Sevilla beat Juventus in the semi-finals of the Europa League.

As part of the new trial ordered against Juve, which also involves former and current club executives, including former chairman Andrea Agnelli, FIGC prosecutors allege that they agreed to pay players back most of their Covid-19-related wage cuts without properly accounting for it.

Juventus, who earlier insisted that they had “correctly applied the relevant international accounting standards”, on Friday declined to make further comment. The trial is expected to take place when the season ends in June.

FIGC also said on Friday that the other teams with whom Juventus were allegedly holding undue relationships with are Sampdoria, Atalanta, Sassuolo, Udinese, Bologna and Cagliari but added that they were still being investigated. There were reportedly partnerships for “confidential agreements” with these six clubs, while salaries and relationships with players’ agents will also be probed.

On the pitch, coach Massimiliano Allegri’s job could be on the line despite the Italian having steadied the ship in the aftermath of Juventus’ points deduction earlier in the year. The hashtag #AllegriOut has been trending on social media over the past few months, and critics have once again sharpened their knives following the Sevilla defeat.

There had also been reports that Zinedine Zidane, who has been without a club since leaving Spanish giants Real Madrid in 2021, is keen to take up the hot seat at Juventus, where he spent five years of his playing career. REUTERS