“It can lead to relegation,” Italian lawyer claims Juventus could face similar punishment in 2023 like their infamous Calciopoli scandal
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It has been a tough couple of years for Juventus, who have failed to win the last two league titles after experiencing an unprecedented level of success in Italian football. They’re once again significantly off the pace in the temporarily paused campaign, as are most other Italian clubs, with Napoli 10 points ahead of them.
In the Champions League, Max Allegri’s team was humiliated after losing to Maccabi Haifa and being eliminated in the group stages. But since the board of directors, including president Andrea Agnelli, vice president Pavel Nedved, and managing director Maurizio Arrivabene, all resigned, the Old Lady’s off-field problems have become much more serious.
Due to some “financial regularities” associated with the time around Covid-19, the club is currently the subject of an investigation, which resulted in the resignations. Despite having officially stated that they would forgo compensation, they allegedly made secret agreements with their players and manager Maurizio Sarri to give them three months’ worth of wages.
The club was relegated back in 2006 as a result of the Calciopoli incident, in which they were suspected of attempting to persuade the Italian FA to select more favourable referees. The current investigation is “more serious,” according to Italian attorney Mattia Grassani, a specialist in sports law, and it might result in a punishment similar to that.
What did Italian lawyer have to say about Juventus’ dire situation?
“This I think is the heaviest investigation in the history of Juventus, even heavier than that of Calciopoli in 2006. The unlawful behaviour they’re accused of has no precedent,” Grassani told radio station Rai1. “On a sporting level they risk more than the fine or a modest penalty. All this could lead to a heavy penalty because the rule states that if there is alteration of documents, such as private papers, it can lead to consequences greater than a simple penalty.“
“The rule states that if the club has entered the season thanks to these expedients, they can be excluded from it, it can lead to relegation and even the loss of Scudetti,” he added. According to Grassani, they risk losing the 2019-20 title, just as they did in 2006 when they lost both the 2004–05 and the 2005–06 titles. The first one remained void because runners-up AC Milan were docked 30 points, whereas Inter Milan was awarded the second title.
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Sujeeth Shetty
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