ROME: Juventus are in more legal trouble after the Italian soccer federation on Friday charged the club and seven former team directors with alleged fraud for the way they handled player salary cuts during the coronavirus pandemic.
At the start of the pandemic, Juventus said 23 players agreed to reduce their salary for four months to help the club through the crisis. But prosecutors claim the players gave up only one month’s salary.
Former Juventus president Andrea Agnelli, former vice president Pavel Nedved and former sports director Fabio Paratici are among those charged.
The charges will lead to another sports trial, after the federation already inflicted a 15-point penalty on Juventus this season for false accounting.
The 15-point penalty was suspended last month on an appeal to the country’s highest sports court within the Italian Olympic Committee and referred back to the soccer federation’s appeals court for a new sentence.
Meanwhile, prosecutors in Turin have also charged Juventus, Agnelli and 11 others with false communications by a company listed publicly on the Milan stock exchange, obstructing watchdog agencies, false billing and market manipulation.
Juventus were eliminated from the Europa League semifinals by Sevilla on Thursday, leaving the club without any titles this season.
Juventus in more legal trouble from probe into player salaries
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Juventus in more legal trouble from probe into player salaries
- At the start of the pandemic, Juventus said 23 players agreed to reduce their salary for four months to help the club through the crisis
- Former Juventus president Andrea Agnelli, former vice president Pavel Nedved and former sports director Fabio Paratici are among those charged
Man City chasing ‘world’s best’ in Arsenal, says Guardiola
- “Absolutely, the best team right now in the world,” said Guardiola on the challenge of chasing down Arsenal
- “Hopefully we can be close and getting better, getting better and have the chance to catch them”
MANCHESTER: Pep Guardiola said Manchester City are tasked with chasing down the best team in the world in Premier League leaders Arsenal as he launched a defiant defense of his players after a chastening week.
City were well beaten by local rivals Manchester United last weekend before suffering one of the biggest upsets in Champions League history away to Norway’s Bodo/Glam on Tuesday.
Guardiola’s men are yet to win a league game in 2026, allowing Arsenal to open up a seven-point lead in the title race.
But the City boss backed his “extraordinary” group of players to respond as they remain in contention for silverware in four competitions.
“Absolutely, the best team right now in the world,” said Guardiola on the challenge of chasing down Arsenal, who have also won all seven of their Champions League matches.
“So look in the Champions League, in the Premier League, look in (the) FA Cup, in Carabao Cup — it’s the best team right now.
“Hopefully we can be close and getting better, getting better and have the chance to catch them.
“I have an extraordinary team, an extraordinary group of players. And we are all together. We are a fantastic football team, I don’t have any doubts about that.”
City’s dip in form has coincided with the loss of key defenders Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol to injury.
The arrival of Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace should mitigate their absence with the England international set to make his debut against Wolves on Saturday.
“It’s going to help us because the experience of Mark is exceptional,” added Guardiola.
“Considering the absence of central defenders it’s really good.”
Dias, Gvardiol and Nico Gonzalez remain sidelined for City, but Matheus Nunes could return after missing the last two games with a virus.
