Chiellini admits secret Juventus wage deal to prosecutors

Giorgio Chiellini discussed Juventus’ secret salary payments in detail when speaking to the Turin Public Prosecutor’s Office.

La Repubblica recounts how the 38-year-old Italian defender was called to discuss the case with the prosecutors back on April 4, where he was reminded of the need to be entirely honest when speaking about the situation. 

Juventus have been accused of secretly paying their players during the early stages of the COVID pandemic despite publicly announcing that four months’ worth of salary payments had been waivered. 

Initial questions were mostly simple and set the scene, asking him when he joined the club, his relationship with the management and how much his salary was. He also discussed the role of his brother Claudio in Turin.

Soon, however, the questions turned to the hidden salary payments, when Chiellini began to respond with answers like “I don’t remember” or “I take note”, which is when he was reminded of the need to be honest.

Discussing the start of the situation, he said: “When the pandemic broke out, clearly a period of panic and economic difficulty, I was asked to act as a go-between with the rest of the group to meet the extraordinary moment that had been created. 

“In March I started talking to my teammates to understand their willingness to meet the problems that existed in the club, solvency problems above all because all the liquid income was lacking.”

Chiellini then revealed that, after a few conversations with Andrea Agnelli and Fabio Paratici, “what was done was to waive four monthly payments to allow the club to breathe with the promise, that when the season resumed, based on what would happen, a part would be returned. 

“A part of the contracts would be readjusted based on how much we would play. This part would have ranged between two and three months’ salary.”

He spoke about the plan should a player leave the club after agreeing to this, saying: “What was put into my pay packet the following year would be given to those who left as a leaving incentive,” confirming that the agreement had been signed in May of 2020.

“In June the season started again, we managed to finish it even without an audience, and since July the subsequent supplements were signed. I don’t think there was anyone who was not satisfied,” Chiellini admitted, adding “they asked me ‘give us a hand’, the problem was the lack of liquidity, TV revenues and stadium.”

The 38-year-old noted how it wasn’t easy to discuss the situation with his teammates, confirming “it wasn’t easy, everyone had their own opinion, but they accepted with the promise that when the season started they would be rewarded.”

The Italian veteran touched on how the deal was set up, revealing: “I had torn up the recovery of two to three monthly payments even if we were not going to restart. We would have waived one or two monthly payments, one if we had resumed the league, two if it had not resumed.”

At first, Chiellini suggested that he didn’t sign an agreement, “no, I signed a big handshake,” but after confirmed “I signed a paper, I don’t know where it is and if it is still there.”

The prosecutors then showed the former Juventus defender the deal he signed with the club on March 28, where it stated that three of the four waivered payments would be given to the players, and he confirmed: “I recognise the document, the signature is mine, I signed it at the president’s house.” 

He was then told that “all your teammates said that the agreement was always to waive one month’s salary,” something he did not comment on.

Chiellini was asked if the recovery of these three monthly payments was certain or conditional, and he responded: “In the following seasons it was certain, some had spread it over more than one year. We were asked not to give up but to postpone part of the salary, if I am not mistaken two months. The negotiations were individual.”

The 38-year-old then spoke about the ambassador contract he signed with Juventus, noting that pen was put to paper “a little later, in May, which will run from when I retire for three years. I have yet to receive the two monthly payments.

“I had always gave my word, that once my career was over I would do something in the club’s management, as I could not be framed as a manager, the best way to get a corporate contract was as an ambassador.”

Chiellini confirmed that the ambassador contract was worth “€1.5m net over three years. Of which about €500,000 was the two deferred monthly payments.”