Serie A giant faces a barrage of sanctions by UEFA due to Financial Fair Play
Juventus F.C, one of Italy’s football giants now faces a series of harsh Financial Fair Play sanctions imposed by UEFA.
The controversy comes less than 20 years after the club
was tangled in match-fixing scandals, which saw them stripped of titles and an eventual relegation from top-tier football.
The 'Vecchia Signora' is one of Italy's most renowned clubs with a total of 36 national titles under their belt.
Juventus now face a series of economic and competitive sanctions after the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) announced financial irregularities in relation to their historic transfer deals.
The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) penalized Juventus by removing 15 points from their league fixtures.
The club was also accused of fraudulent accounting in relation to the COVID-related wage cuts, which could result in further sanctions.
Andrea Agnelli, president and owner of the club, is accused of deliberately inflating player valuations to maximize capital gains for the club.
The Financial Fair Play regulation imposed by UEFA is proving to be a unique method of curbing transfer budgets in an attempt to regulate big transfer deals.
UEFA is pressing for regulations in order to keep a balance of power amongst clubs of all sizes.
The 'Vecchia Signora' now stands 14 points behind fourth-place AS Roma, a large point deficit that drops Juventus from top-flight European competitions. Until the Italian courts have a final verdict regarding the club's appeal, the real results need to materialize on the pitch.
Failing to qualify for the Champions League would mean a significant economic setback for Juventus and likely a major exodus of their most talented players.
The UEFA investigation is still yet to conclude with a final resolution, however, it is probable Juventus will be banned from participating in top European football competitions regardless of how they finish this season in Serie A.
UEFA’s Financial Fair Play has also targeted other European clubs for their financial irregularities this past year.
Major clubs like AC Milan (ITA), AS Roma (ITA), AS Monaco (FRA), FC Inter Milan (ITA), Olympic de Marseille (FRA), and Paris Saint-Germain (FRA)
failed to comply with the break-even requirement, and now face fines of up to €65 million.
This power struggle between clubs and football institutions might go deeper than just
Financial Fair Play regulations. There is a debate in the world of football where old institutions like UEFA are clashing with new institutions like the Super League.
Many of the teams under investigation by the UEFA are teams that pledged their support to the Super League – only time will tell.