Juventus punished with loss of 15 points in the Italian for tax fraud

A Juventus was punished with the loss of 15 points in the Italian Championship by the sporting justice of the country due to tax fraud in the signing of players, announced this Friday the Italian Football Federation (FIGC).

The Turin club had been acquitted along with ten other entities last year, but the FIGC’s appeals court accepted the request of the federal prosecutor to reopen the case due to the elements transmitted by the justice of Italy, which also investigates Juventus accounts, according to a statement from the federation.

With the loss of 15 points, “to be fulfilled in the current season”, according to the terms of the communiqué, the court went beyond the request of the prosecution, which had requested the withdrawal of nine points.

The appeals court also suspended former club officials: two-and-a-half years for sporting director Fabio Paratici, currently at Tottenham, and two years for former chairman Andrea Agnelli, who stepped down this week. The punishments are stronger than those requested by federal prosecutor Giuseppe Chine.

Juventus can still appeal to the Italian Olympic Committee to reverse the punishment, which compromises the team’s chances of finishing in the top four of Serie A, synonymous with a place in the next European Champions League.

Although other clubs were also involved at first, Juve was the main accused of having overpriced the sale of several players to register profits that allowed to make up their accounts.

The club is also being investigated in court for possible accounting fraud to artificially limit its losses on the balance sheets presented to investors.

In early December, the Turin prosecutor’s office asked Andrea Agnelli and 11 other former leaders to go on trial. This request should be reviewed at the end of March.

Pressured by justice, Andrea Agneli announced his resignation at the end of November. His successor as club president, Gianluca Ferrero, was officially named last Wednesday.

With this loss of score, Velha Senhora now drops to 10th place, with 22 points.