In a stunning turn of events, Juventus has been hit with a 10-point deduction by an Italian court investigating the club’s transfer dealings. The ruling has major implications for the Serie A standings, as Juventus plummet from their second-place position behind champions Napoli to seventh place, now sitting five points adrift of a coveted Champions League spot.
The timing of the decision couldn’t have been worse for Juventus, as it was announced just moments after their Monday night clash against Empoli kicked off. The weight of the news seemed to impact the team’s performance on the field, leading to a resounding 4-1 defeat against their mid-table opponents. With this loss and the additional sanctions, their aspirations of finishing in the top four have all but evaporated.
During a lengthy three-hour hearing on Monday, federation prosecutor Giuseppe Chine pushed for an 11-point penalty for Juventus, having initially requested a nine-point deduction back in January. In addition, Chine called for eight-month bans on seven former Juventus directors, including Pavel Nedved. However, the Federal Court of Appeals cleared all of them of the charges. It’s worth noting that Nedved and the rest of the club’s board had resigned en masse in November amid the allegations.
A statement from the official ruling stated, “The Federal Court of Appeals hereby absolves Pavel Nedved, Paolo Garimberti, Assia Grazioli Venier, Caitlin Mary Hughes, Daniela Marilungo, Francesco Roncaglio, and Enrico Vellano from the alleged offenses and imposes a 10-point deduction on Juventus in the standings, to be applied for the current season.”
Previously, in January, Juventus had already faced a 15-point deduction in Serie A due to accusations of financial irregularities and false accounting. However, that penalty was later rescinded.
Responding to the recent ruling, Juventus released a statement expressing their disappointment: “Juventus Football Club takes note of what was decided by the FIGC Court of Appeal and reserves the right to read the reasons to evaluate a possible appeal to the Guarantee Board at CONI.”
The club further emphasized the bitter sentiment surrounding the case, particularly among their millions of supporters, questioning the fairness and proportionality of the sanctions imposed. While acknowledging the need for urgency in resolving the matter, Juventus stressed that these are facts that still require evaluation by a judge, highlighting the ongoing nature of the legal proceedings.
