Cherubini: “Kulusevski and Chiesa paid too much by Paratici. He drugged the market”

Not only “fake” or “artificial” capital gains, to replicate terms used by Federico Cherubini, current Juventus Football Director and then right-hand man of Fabio Paratici, in his “FP black book”. Juve’s sports management under the former Chief Football Officer, now at Tottenham, was also characterized by some crazy expenses. And no, we are not referring to Cristiano Ronaldo or De Ligt. Words from Cherubini himself, in an interception: “Fabio drugged the transfer market. That is, even Kulusevski or Chiesa, who are excellent players, but when we bought them we paid them too much (…) Kulusevski had spent five months in Serie A and we paid 35 plus 9 bonus: it’s 44”. Not surprisingly, the purchase of the Swede from Atalanta is branded under the heading “senseless purchases or investments out of reach” in the “black book” of the current sports director, who will then recall, in other conversations intercepted by the investigators, how it generated a sort of vicious circle between Juve and Dea, continued with the Muratore, Romero and Demiral operations for past receivables and payables, never made official in the financial statements.

THE METHOD

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A real “Paratici method”. This is how the Turin prosecutor’s office defines the years of sports management at Juve of the former Chief Football Officer. A method which, according to the prosecution papers and above all several wiretaps within Juventus managers and collaborators, is based on the massive and “unhealthy” use (cited by Stefano Bertola, former financial director of the club) of capital gains. From 2018 to 2021, the year in which he left Turin for London, Paratici had the power to sign operations up to 50 million. “If Fabio woke up in the morning – Cherubini told Bertola in an interception – and he had a headache or drank a glass, he could sign 20 million without telling anyone. He was dangerous”. A point which, however, raises more than a doubt: is it possible that Paratici should not have to give an account to anyone?

MAROTTA’S HAT

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It is obvious that, once Beppe Marotta left the club, Paratici had more freedom of maneuver. Again Cherubini to Bertola, on 22 July 2021: “I would have put the hat over Fabio to protect him, because he is a world champion, attacking midfielder, number 10… but he is valued by those who give him balance from above, who every he’s got one tow (a deal, ed.) anyway”. Bertola: “Yes, because he goes into a loop”. And Cherubini: “At a certain point he no longer had this filter (…) He didn’t act for Paratici srl, but for Juve eh (…) He was over-revved! And he took you to have operations that in a context of normality you can’t do… Spinazzola-Pellegrini you can’t do it”. Cherubini himself allegedly went into crisis: “I had evenings when I came home and I felt like throwing up just thinking about it (…) I felt like I was selling my soul because (…) I was an accomplice to some things “.