The Italian record champions Juventus Turin meets Sporting Lisbon in the quarter-finals of the Europa League – a key section in a rollercoaster season.
It was a setback once again. Juventus failed to get close to the international places on the last matchday of the Italian Serie A. Coach Massimiliano Allegri’s side suffered a 2-1 defeat at Lazio. The record champions’ hopes of still being able to make it into the European Cup despite the point deduction for accounting fraud were dampened.
Juventus: 15 points deducted
It’s been a grueling season on and off the field for Juventus. The sports court of the Italian association FIGC decided at the end of January that the club would be deducted 15 points in the current Serie A season for accounting fraud. Without the loss of points, Juve would currently be in second place behind SSC Napoli. Instead: 7th place, currently no international business.
The Italian record champions are said to have tricked their balance sheets and thus had more budget available for transfers. The Turiners are accused of having deliberately attributed false market values to some players in the past – the club’s balance sheet is said to have been whitewashed by more than 100 million euros in 2018, 2019 and 2020 alone.
Juventus is also accused of having falsified the balance sheets during the corona pandemic by providing false information about unpaid salaries. The “old lady” appealed, and a decision on whether to uphold the verdict is expected in mid-April.
In the investigation process, the entire board of the club, including President Andrea Agnelli and his deputy Pavel Nedved, resigned at the end of November 2022. Both were subsequently banned.
Europa League as a ticket for the Champions League?
The quarter-finals in the Europa League against Sporting Lisbon is therefore of great importance. On Thursday (04/13/2023) Juve expects the Portuguese for the first leg. A title win in the Europa League would mean direct qualification for the group stage of the Champions League – and end the roller coaster ride on the highest possible point. A departure should slow down the journey in the direction of international places, even the Champions League. Dream and trauma, sometimes so close together.