LAGOS, Nigeria (VOCE OF NAIJA) Cristiano Ronaldo is reportedly gearing up to file a lawsuit against his former club, Juventus, for outstanding salary payments.
According to reports from Gazzetta dello Sport, the Al-Nassr striker has engaged with the Turin prosecutor’s office and is pursuing legal action against Juventus.
The unpaid salary stems from the period when Juventus, like all football clubs, faced financial challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in matches being played behind closed doors for most of the 2020–21 season.
In response to these difficulties, Juventus negotiated payment postponements with the players in 2020 during the initial outbreak and again in 2021.
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The club’s cost-cutting measures affected players like Cristiano Ronaldo, who is now set to sue Juventus for unpaid sums totalling over $20 million during that period.
Other players on the team, including Paulo Dybala, also had similar legal disputes with the Italian side. Last year, Dybala reached an agreement with Juventus, which paid him around €3 million to settle the matter.
These “salary manoeuvres” at Juventus became the focal point of a scandal that led to the resignation of the former board last year.
In May, Juventus reached a settlement with Italian sports authorities, agreeing to pay a fine of €718,000 in connection with the salary manoeuvre case.
In return, they refrained from appealing a 10-point deduction related to a separate capital gain case.
Additionally, UEFA imposed a ban on Juventus from competing in European competitions for the 2023–24 season.
This means that, despite qualifying, Juventus will not participate in the UEFA Conference League this year due to the 10-point deduction.