The ongoing fallout from the Juventus capital gains fraud case has extended beyond Turin, with AS Roma forward Paulo Dybala at risk of suspension for his involvement in a further scandal despite departing the Bianconeri in the summer.
Juventus were hit with a 15-point penalty in January after being found guilty of manipulating their financial records and valuations of player sales, with Massimiliano Allegri‘s side now languishing in seventh place in the Serie A table as a result.
Deferred wages paid under the table
As reported by La Repubblica, Dybala was amongst a host of Juventus players who agreed to take a wage deferral during the spring of 2020, as the Bianconeri sought to cope with the financial implications of lockdowns imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Whilst publicly it was reported that the Juventus players would give up four months’ wages, it is alleged that Dybala and others secretly received their salaries for three months off the books.
The Argentina international has been brought into the investigation and is set to be questioned by Italy’s Financial Guard over allegations that he agreed to a payment of €3.8 million from Juventus, split into two instalments.
If found guilty, Dybala could face a one-month ban from all football activity, ruling him out of crucial matches in Roma’s battle to secure a top-four finish and a return to the Champions League.
Inspirational Dybala key to Roma
Dybala joined Roma from the Bianconeri last summer after his contract at the Allianz Stadium expired, and has made a superb start to life in the capital.
The former Palermo forward has proven to be inspirational for Jose Mourinho‘s side, scoring eight goals and providing seven assists in Serie A this season, contributing to half of the Giallorossi’s total league goals.
Dybala also enjoyed success at international level, netting in the penalty shootout as Argentina defeated France to lift the World Cup in Qatar in December.
