The investigation into Juventus’ secret salary agreements has revealed a conversation between club directors where they reportedly confirmed that Cristiano Ronaldo had signed the documents.
The Turin Public Prosecutor’s Office are looking into the Bianconeri’s financial practices over the last few years, namely their alleged usage of inflated player transfer values to falsify capital gains and their misleading of the market with secret player salary agreements.
Calciomercato.com highlights how the Guardia di Finanza have uncovered a conversation held between multiple Juventus directors on WhatsApp, where they discussed Ronaldo’s situation.
At 13:42 on April 23 2021, Club secretary Paolo Morganti wrote in the WhatsApp group: “Second salary manoeuvre, Cristiano has signed. He has a copy of all the documents.” Sporting director Federico Cherubini then replied: “Good!”
In the same WhatsApp conversation, the head of Juventus’ legal department Cesare Gabasio wrote three days earlier: “The first one ready to sign is Cristiano.”
On September 11 2021, Morganti sends an internal email saying: “Possibly the sum indicated in the incentive must be that of the writing in the player’s hand.”
Ronaldo seemingly renounced €19,548,333.33 in wages in the 2020-21 season, in the early stages of the COVID pandemic, and the Turin Public Prosecutor’s Office believe the club privately agreed to pay this despite announcing their decision to freeze wages for a few months.