Juventus out of next season's Champions League following 10-point deduction
The decision has affected which Italian clubs will play in Europe
The season came crashing down on Juventus when they lost 4-1 to Empoli and were handed a 10-point deduction by an Italian court for false accounting regarding the club's transfer dealings.
Both happened on Monday as Juventus, who were in second place, dropped to seventh and out of contention for a spot in next season’s Champions League.
There are two games left in the Serie A season — including a crucial match against AC Milan this Sunday — as Juventus look to avoid missing the Champions League for the first time in 11 seasons.
It was in January that Juventus were handed a 15-point penalty, while several members of the team’s former board — including former president Andrea Agnelli — were also banned.
But Juventus got their points back last month following an appeal to the country's highest sports court within the Italian Olympic Committee. The case was then referred back to the Italian FA’s appeals court for a new trial.
In a statement on Twitter, the famed Italian club said they “reserve the right” to file a new appeal.
At the same time, criminal prosecutors in Turin have also charged Juventus, Agnelli and 11 others with false communications and market manipulation of a stock by a company listed on the Milan stock exchange.
Should Juventus finish in the top six spots and earn a spot in a European club competition next season, the decision made by the Italian court could force UEFA, European soccer’s governing body, to hand down their own ban over the summer.
Juventus were eliminated last week from the Europa League, losing to Spanish side Sevilla in the semifinals.
“It is a difficult moment on and off the pitch,” Agnelli family head John Elkann told reporters on Tuesday following an event at Milan’s Bocconi University. “Juventus has always faced adversity and has always grown stronger in adversity.”
Juventus have won more Serie A titles than any club in Italy, capturing the scudetto 36 times. They won their last league title in 2020. The last three league champions have been Inter Milan in 2021, AC Milan in 2022 and Napoli this season.