Former Juventus president Agnelli suspended in accounting scandal

The former president of Juventus, Andrea Agnelli, has been suspended by the Italian Football Federation for a period of 16 months from all positions related to the game, due to his alleged involvement in the "salary maneuvers" case.

Agnelli decided not to accept the negotiations that would have spared the club a fine of over 700,000 euros in late May, for adopting a deferred salary payment system during the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, the disciplinary court of the Italian Football Federation found Agnelli guilty and imposed on him the second-longest penalty in less than a year, although he had resigned from his position as president along with other members of his board of directors late last year.

In January, he was banned from Italian football for two years after Juventus was found guilty of using player transfers to artificially inflate its financial numbers.

Ten points were deducted from their Serie A standings following a series of appeals, as part of a broader investigation into allegations of fake accounting and fraudulent transfers that shook Italian football.

Affected by this sanction, the team under coach Massimiliano Allegri finished seventh, missing out on a top-four spot and qualification for the UEFA Champions League.

Juventus also faces separate legal proceedings in relation to the case, and several of its former directors, including Agnelli, may face trial.

A hearing is scheduled for October 26th to determine whether a potential trial will be held in Turin, where the investigation took place, or in Milan or Rome, according to the Italian news agency.

 

AFP