accounting fraud
Ten points deducted: Juventus Turin sentenced to a severe penalty
Professionals from Juventus Turin after a league game: Due to the point deduction, Juventus Turin falls from 2nd to 7th place in the table
© Valerio Pennicino / Getty Images
Juventus Turin is said to have whitewashed their finances for years. That’s why the association deducts ten points from the club in the championship – for the second time. The Champions League is in danger for Turin.
The current season will come to a painful end for Juventus Turin. Ten points were deducted from the big Italian club shortly before the end of the season for financial offenses. As a result, participation in the Champions League next season is in acute danger for the Italian record champions. The supreme court of the football association FIGC passed the verdict on Monday, falling just short of the eleven points deduction demanded by chief prosecutor Giuseppe Chinè.
The case concerns the allegation that Juventus has falsified the market values of its players for years and is said to have booked excessive sums in transfers or barter transactions with other clubs. The association court had therefore sentenced the Turiners to a 15-point penalty at the beginning of the year. The club took action before the highest Italian sports court and was initially successful – the judges of the National Olympic Committee (Coni) overturned the sentence, but returned the case to the FIGC chamber for a new verdict.
Pavel Nedved acquitted this time
Seven former Juve managers who were also accused, such as ex-professional Pavel Nedved, who were banned in the first trial, were acquitted this time. The former club bosses around President Andrea Agnelli had already been suspended at the beginning of the year – the highest Coni sports court had not revised their sentence either.
Due to the ten points deduction, Juventus slipped from second place behind the already established champions SSC Napoli out of the top four and thus out of the Champions League ranks. Turin also lost the catch-up game of the third to last matchday at FC Empoli on Monday evening with 1:4.
Juventus not only has to answer to a sports court because of this cause. In the previous week, prosecutor Chinè had reported the association because it is said to have illegally booked and concealed salary payments in the millions. The first hearing in this process is scheduled for June 15th.