Prosecutors search trial for Juventus and former chairman Agnelli

MILAN, Italy: Prosecutors in Italy have requested that former Juventus chairman Andrea Agnelli, 11 different folks and the membership itself stand trial over allegations of false accounting on the nation’s most profitable soccer crew, a senior supply with direct information of the matter mentioned on Thursday (Dec 1).

Prosecutors within the northern Italian metropolis of Turin, the place Juventus are primarily based, have been investigating the membership’s accounting and statements made to monetary markets over the previous three years.

Agnelli stepped down as chairman earlier this week, resigning together with the remainder of the board.

Juventus had no touch upon the Reuters report on Thursday. They’ve repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, and the membership mentioned on Wednesday that it will defend its pursuits with all sporting and authorized our bodies.

Underneath Italian legislation, a request for trial is notified to suspects solely as soon as a courtroom listening to has been scheduled. On the finish of the particular listening to, a choose should resolve whether or not to ship the defendants to trial or acquit them.

Turin prosecutors allege the membership understated its monetary losses for 3 seasons – 2018-19, 2019-20 and 2020-21.

They’ve been trying into the values ascribed to participant transfers between golf equipment and whether or not, as said, salaries have been sacrificed through the COVID-19 pandemic or just deferred.

The membership is managed by the Agnelli household’s Exor holding group and Juventus shares additionally commerce on the Milan Inventory Trade.

Exor mentioned on Thursday it had no touch upon Juventus.

Turin prosecutors mentioned in October that they’d concluded their investigation into the membership’s accounts, a step that precedes a request for defendants to face trial.

IN THE RED

Amongst those that might face trial with Agnelli is former vice-chairman Pavel Nedved, who performed for the membership from 2001-2009, the supply mentioned. Nedved’s identify additionally appeared on a doc, seen by Reuters, in regards to the conclusion of the preliminary investigation.

Agnelli, who had chaired Juventus since 2010, was one of many architects of the failed try to arrange a breakaway European Tremendous League along with different high golf equipment in 2021. His household has managed the membership for nearly a century.

Underneath his tenure, Juventus secured 9 consecutive home league titles. However they did not win Europe’s prestigious Champions League regardless of spending closely on gamers together with signing Cristiano Ronaldo from Actual Madrid for €100 million in 2018.

Regardless of racking up home trophies, the loss-making membership incurred rising prices linked to gamers’ salaries, whereas revenues dropped because the coronavirus pandemic compelled groups to play behind closed doorways.

In a press release in October, prosecutors alleged that Juventus declared a lack of virtually €40 million for the 2018-19 season when the determine ought to have been €84.5 million.

They added that the loss ought to have been €236 million in 2019-20 and never €90 million as said by the membership, and €222 million in 2020-21 as a substitute of the reported €209 million.

Italy’s soccer affiliation FIGC has opened an investigation into allegations Juventus paid salaries to its gamers that have been totally different from these it publicly reported. Potential penalties embrace factors deductions or relegation.

Spain’s LaLiga this week demanded sports activities sanctions be utilized to Juventus for allegedly breaching European soccer’s monetary honest play guidelines.