‘Juventus‘ capital gains’ has become a very important phrase in recent weeks and it is taking on even more importance across Italy for other clubs now. The resignation of Juventus’ board in late November was partially down to an investigation surrounding capital gains.
The investigators say that Juventus have used inflated transfer fees to register capital gains in an unlawful manner. In the long term, creating capital gains on assets can lead to tax advantages and subsequently, more money in the bank to reinvest in the playing squad and the club.
Juventus are not just in trouble for capital gains though, as there are also issues relating to deferred salary payments during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Now, the Federal Prosecution Service has revoked the acquittal sentence that the Federal Court of Appeal handed out in May 2022, meaning many more clubs are back under the microscope.
As far as the Prosecutor’s Office is concerned, Juventus are at the centre of an organised system of budget planning for the sale and purchase of players for artificial economic growth, rather than for success on the pitch.
Which clubs and deals are involved in Juventus’ capital gains case?
There are eight more clubs involved beyond Juventus in the capital gains investigation. The investigations centre around specific players and their transfers, so here is a look at each club and individual deal in question that are being looked at, as highlighted by La Gazzetta dello Sport.
Sampdoria
The interest in Sampdoria stems from the purchase of Emil Audero from Juventus in January 2019 for €20 million. On the same day, Daouda Peeters went in the other direction for €4 million. In July of the same year, Erasmo Mulè joined Juventus from Sampdoria for €3.5 million. Deals involving Nicolo Francofonte, Matteo Stoppa, Giuseppe Gerbi and Giacomo Vrioni between the clubs are also of interest.
Genoa
In January 2019, Juventus sold Stefano Sturaro to Genoa for a fee of €18 million, which generated a capital gain of €13.6 million. On the same day, Luca Zanimacchia moved to the Rossoblu for €4 million. Two years later, it was Sergio Petrelli and Manolo Portanova who were sold by Juventus to Genoa for €18 million, a capital gain of €16.9 million, while Nicolo Rovella went the other way for the same amount.
Parma
Juventus sold Erik Lanina to Parma for €2.3 million on January 31, 2020. That registered a capital gain of €2.2 million. Alessandro Minelli went the other way for €2.9 million. In the Lanini deal, there was a bonus of €500,000 to be paid to Juve once Parma had won three points after February 1. This bonus allowed the two deals to be aligned.
Pisa
On June 28, 2020, Juventus sold Leonardo Loria to Pisa for €2.5 million. That resulted in a capital gain of €2.4 million. On the same date, the Bianconeri finalised the purchase of Stefano Gori for €3.2 million.
Pescara
At the end of August in 2019, Edoardo Masciangelo was sold by Juventus on loan with a right of redemption to Pescara. The option was exercised during the winter transfer window of 2020 for €2.3 million, representing a capital gain of €1.7 million. On the same day, Juventus bought Matteo Brunori for €2.8 million.
Pro Vercelli
Giulio Parodi was sold by Juventus to Pro Vercelli for €1.5 million in January 2021. This generated a capital gain of the same amount. At the same time, Davide De Marino is acquired for €1.5 million. Both players are paid for in two equal annual instalments.
Empoli and Novara
The cases involving Empoli and Novara were not included in the Turin Public Prosecutor’s Office file, but deals that created a capital gain for Juventus involving the two clubs were seen in the 2020 financial reports.
For Empoli, the concern is Leonardo Mancuso who moved for €3.2 million, while Mattia Bortolussi and Filippo Marricchi were sold to Novara for a total of €220,000. This is in reference to the Novara that was expelled from the championship in 2021, rather than the new Novara which is in Serie C and not involved in the investigation.
