January 21, (THEWILL) –Â The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) has dealt a heavy blow to Juventus Football Club by imposing a 15-point deduction on the club in the wake of an investigation into its past transfer dealings.
The FIGC confirmed the news on Friday and also imposed a two-and-a-half-year ban on former Juve Director, Fabio Paratici, who is now at Tottenham Hotspur.
The punishment comes after Juventus was found to have used transfers to artificially boost its balance sheet. As a result of the deduction, Juventus has dropped from third to tenth place in the Serie A league, 12 points off the UEFA Champions League places.
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This is a huge setback for the club and its fans, as Juventus has been a dominant force in Italian football for decades, winning 36 league titles and two UCL trophies. Still, the FIGC’s decision is likely to be appealed by Juventus, who denies any wrongdoing.
In addition, lawyers for the club have claimed that prosecutors have not brought enough evidence to reach the adequate threshold for a new ruling.
The punishment also affects former Juventus Chairman, Andrea Agnelli, who has been banned from holding office in Italian football for the next two years.
As THEWILL reported, Agnelli, along with Vice President Pavel Nedved and the rest of the Bianconeri’s board, resigned en-masse last year in the wake of an investigation being launched into financial violations during their time in charge.
The ban on Fabio Paratici also includes a request for an extension to cover UEFA and FIFA activities, which could have a big knock-on impact on Spurs.
Juventus is set to play its next match on Sunday, at home against Atalanta, in what was set to be a potentially crucial clash in the race for Champions League qualification. The outcome of this match and the appeal process will likely shape the future of the club and its place in the annals of Italian football history.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.