Juventus have punished Weston McKennie, Arthur Melo and Paulo Dybala for breaking the COVID protocol, but treated talisman Cristiano Ronaldo differently earlier this year.
Police broke up a party organised by the former Schalke 04 midfielder on Wednesday night and the Bianconeri coach Andrea Pirlo decided to punish the players involved.
Juventus have punished Weston McKennie, Arthur Melo and Paulo Dybala for breaking the COVID protocol, but treated talisman Cristiano Ronaldo differently earlier this year.
Police broke up a party organised by the former Schalke 04 midfielder on Wednesday night and the Bianconeri coach Andrea Pirlo decided to punish the players involved.
Arthur and Dybala attended McKennie's party and are left out of the Derby della Mole, as Pirlo said he drew a line under the incident and will ease them back into the squad.
The club has decided to fine and suspend the players but denied there were more players attending the festivity at McKennie’s house.
“The three players involved are not called up for the match tomorrow,” Pirlo said at a press conference ahead of the game against the Granata.
“They will resume working with time and then we’ll see when [they return to the squad]. I made the decision and the club did the rest.
“These things have always happened, but this is not the time for what is going on in the world. It was not the right time to do it, we are examples and must behave like it.”
Reactions in Italy have pointed at a different treatment for the current players involved in a coronavirus controversy than when Ronaldo was caught violating the restrictions by crossing borders to spend two days in the snow with his partner Georgina Rodriguez in January.
Il Corriere dello Sport then revealed Ronaldo was caught staying in an officially closed hotel to celebrate Georgina’s 27th birthday, crossing the borders between Piedmonte and Valle D’Aosta.
“He had a day off and he could do what he wanted,” Pirlo said then. “He takes responsibility for what he does.”