The Italian Football Association recently found Juventus guilty of transfer irregularities and deducted 15 points from the team’s standings, but now a new thread from journalist, Paolo Ziliani, on Twitter claims that a large number of players including Cristiano Ronaldo could be banned for 30 days as a result of the ongoing investigation into financial fraud.
The Juventus financial fraud scandal continues to make headlines and shock the football world. Just last week, the Italian Football Association (IFA) found Juventus guilty of transfer irregularities and handed down a punishment of 15 points deducted from their standings, dropping them from 3rd place to mid-table. But now, it seems that the consequences for the club and its players may be even more severe.
Journalist Paolo Ziliani has claimed that a large number of current and former Juventus players, including Cristiano Ronaldo, could be banned for 30 days as part of the ongoing investigation into financial fraud. The allegations center around an agreement that Juventus made with its players in which they agreed to have 3 out of 4 months of renounced wages paid off the balance sheet, spread over time. This would be a violation of regulations and could result in significant penalties for the club and the players involved.
In a thread on Twitter, Ziliani shared screenshots of Juventus’ balance sheet and provided details of the alleged agreement. He claims that Juventus captain Giorgio Chiellini even told the team not to share this information with the media and that a WhatsApp message has been acquired as proof. As a result, Ziliani claims that 23 + 17 players (across two seasons, including coach Maurizio Sarri) could be banned for at least 30 days due to accepting being paid off the balance sheet.
But the potential penalties don’t stop there. Juventus could also face further point deductions and fines ranging from 1 to 3 times the amount in question. The deferred wages of Ronaldo alone are worth €19.6 million. In addition, further sanctions could include automatic relegation and revocation of titles, such as the Scudetto of 2019-20.
Juventus have already announced that they will appeal the IFA’s decision, but this latest development is sure to add to the pressure on the club and its players. As a listed company, off-balance sheet liabilities such as deferred wages are a major violation of regulations and former president Andrea Agnelli and several members of the board and directors are also being investigated for this issue.
This is a developing story, and fans and experts are eagerly awaiting the outcome of the investigation and the subsequent penalties that may be imposed. Will Juventus and its players be able to weather this storm? Only time will tell, but one thing is for sure, this is not trivial news, and the Italian media is trembling at the thought of giving it, but it is appropriate not to be squeamish: at least fainting like for -15 is avoided.
