Juventus, one of Italy’s most successful football clubs, has been expelled from the Europa Conference League this season and slapped with a £17.14m fine by Uefa for violating Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations. The matter under investigation involves financial transactions that occurred between 2012 and 2019.
Not only Juventus, but Chelsea also faced penalties in relation to breaching FFP rules. The English club has been fined £8.57m, a consequence of their actions over a seven-year period while Roman Abramovich was at the helm. This comes despite Chelsea’s recent spending spree of approximately £600m on 19 new players since Todd Boehly assumed ownership in May 2022.
Uefa emphasized that Juventus would only have to pay half of their fine if they demonstrate compliance with financial regulations in their records for the following three years. In contrast, Chelsea has already agreed to pay the settlement amount without conditions. The London-based club expressed its willingness to cooperate with Uefa throughout the investigations and hailed the settlement agreement as a demonstration of their commitment to full compliance and transparency.
Meanwhile, the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) now faces the task of informing Uefa about the club that will replace Juventus in the Europa Conference League. Fiorentina, who finished eighth in Serie A and suffered defeat in last year’s final at the hands of West Ham, is the likely candidate to fill the void left by the expelled Italian giants.
This recent development is not the first hurdle Juventus has faced due to financial irregularities. Last season, the club incurred a 718,000 euro (£620,000) fine from Italian football authorities in a separate case concerning player salary payments. Additionally, Juventus had 10 Serie A points deducted last season following a hearing into their past transfer operations, an initial punishment of 15 points that was subsequently reduced by Italy’s highest sporting court.
As Juventus seeks to overcome the ramifications of these disciplinary actions, other clubs will undoubtedly take note of Uefa’s steadfastness in enforcing financial regulations. The footballing world continues to grapple with the delicate balance between big spending and adhering to the principles of FFP, ensuring a level playing field for all participants.
