Juventus risk exclusion from European competitions

La Gazzetta dello Sport details how Juventus are at risk of being excluded from UEFA competitions amid the ongoing investigations. 

The Bianconeri are currently in the crosshairs of the Turin Public Prosecutor’s Office for two key issues: the alleged usage of falsified capital gains in their recent balance sheets and secretly paying players wages during the early stages of the COVID pandemic, despite publicly stating that they had been waived. 

UEFA have no intention of waiting for the end of criminal proceedings in Italy against Juventus and they’re planning to react sooner. In Nyon, they’re waiting for detailed information from the Turin Public Prosecutor’s Office, something that isn’t imminently available. 

Once the documents have been passed over, UEFA will be able to act autonomously, ready to examine the club’s true economic situation. 

At this stage, Juventus are most at risk of being handed a hefty fine from UEFA. Things would be a little more severe if the secret payments of salaries were confirmed, however, and exclusion from UEFA competitions cannot be ruled out at this stage.

Juventus “expect to respect also in the future the required parameters, including those laid down in the Settlement Agreement signed in August 2022 with UEFA club financial control body,” the Bianconeri said in a message for shareholders earlier this week after releasing a revised consolidated financial statement.

However, the Bianconeri also added: “it can’t be ruled out that, in the future, these parameters (or new requirements that may be proposed and approved) may not be fully respected.

“If the Company is unable to comply with the above requirements, it may be subject to management restrictions, administrative sanctions or, in the most severe cases, not being able to participate in national and/or European competitions with significant negative impacts on their reputation, as well as on the economic and financial situation of the group.”