Cristiano Ronaldo is gearing up to file a lawsuit against his former club, Juventus, due to unpaid salary issues.
Reportedly, Ronaldo has engaged with the Turin prosecutor’s office and made the decision to pursue legal action against his former team.
The unpaid salary stems from the period when Juventus, like all football clubs, grappled with the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic. The outbreak compelled clubs to play most of the 2020-21 season without spectators, which resulted in financial difficulties. Juventus took measures to mitigate these challenges and reached agreements with their players in 2020 and 2021 to defer certain payments.
These cost-cutting measures had an impact on players, including Cristiano Ronaldo, who is now set to take legal action against the club for failing to pay him an amount exceeding $20 million during that period. Other players also had similar legal disputes with the Italian side, including Paulo Dybala, who reached an agreement with the club last year, resulting in a payment of approximately €3 million.
The “salary maneuvers” at Juventus played a central role in a scandal that led to the resignation of the former board last year. Juventus eventually reached a settlement with Italian sports authorities at the end of May, agreeing to pay a fine of €718,000 in relation to the salary maneuvers case. In return, they did not appeal the 10-point deduction imposed in a separate capital gain case. Additionally, UEFA banned Juventus from participating in European competitions during the 2023-24 season, which means the Bianconeri will not participate in the UEFA Conference League this year, despite qualifying, due to the 10-point deduction.
