Juventus could be banned from participating in European competitions by UEFA due to the ongoing capital gains investigation that has engulfed the club, and Serie A.
The Bianconeri have had their 15-point penalty temporarily suspended as they wait for a new trial but this process is seemingly too long for European football’s chief governing body.
La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that UEFA have conducted their own investigation into Juventus‘ finances and they want to punish La Vecchia Signora for alleged Financial Fair Play breaches.
Why might UEFA punish Juventus?
Juventus were fined €3.5 million in September 2022 for Financial Fair Play violations and they could have paid up to €23 million had it not been for the signing of various agreements based on balance sheets they provided to the organisation.
These are the same balance sheets used by both the FIGC and the Public Prosecutor’s Office in Turin for their respective capital gains investigations. Numerous directors formerly of Juventus have been punished for their roles in capital gains fraud, but for UEFA, it needs to go even further.
The Bianconeri settled on a fine for Financial Fair Play, acknowledging that they were outside of the parameters. However, the plea bargain would not have been granted if the reported figures were false, and Juventus’ disqualification from the Champions League, Europa Leagua and/or Europa Conference League is possible.
While the likes of Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City inflated sponsorship values, the revenues generated were real figures. Meanwhile, Juventus have been accused of falsifying balance sheets.
What penalties will Juventus face?
Juventus could face a ban from all UEFA competitions in 2023/24 if they are to qualify. However, if the Bianconeri somehow miss out on qualifying for any European competition, UEFA will wait for their Italian judiciary process to take its course and see how they will punish La Vecchia Signora. Because of that, Juventus could be banned from Europe in 2024/25 instead.
UEFA would need to make a decision by late July or early August, depending on which competition Juventus qualify for, due to the qualification rounds of some of the competitions.
The Bianconeri are currently in the semi-finals of the Europa League and face Spanish side Sevilla. If they were to go on and win that competition, they would qualify automatically for the Champions League.
Without their 15-point deduction, Juventus sit third in Serie A behind Napoli and Lazio.
