Juve, Uefa with the hard line: Fair Play investigation, risks a year’s stoppage

It’s not over until it’s over, and that date seems far away. The plea agreement “fixed” the Italian situation, effectively giving Juve a place in the next cups (Europe or Conference League). But it is not yet certain that the doors of Europe are open. The club is under investigation for violations of fair play. And the spectrum of sanctions is wide, from a fine to exclusion from cups.

Punch hard

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History says that once upon a time, UEFA was all too accommodating towards clubs that were a bit “mariuoli” (Psg, City). The scenario has changed in recent years, more rigor, although the ultimate goal is to exclude the top clubs. In 2022, PSG negotiated a fine of 65 million: at the moment they pay 10 (15%), if they fail to meet the objectives in three years they would have to pay the other 50. In 2020, City had been disqualified for two years and fined 30 million: the CAS canceled the penalty, judging the sponsorships budgeted as not fictitious, and reduced the fine to 10 million. But for UEFA Guardiola shouldn’t have played in the Champions League ’20-21 and ’21-22. The sense is that Juve is at great risk.

Juve has been under investigation for Fair Play since 1 December, to verify if they have violated the rules and the agreement reached with Nyon in September. The wage bargaining agreement does not affect UEFA investigations, even if negotiating is a bit like admitting. The UEFA investigations are independent. The real concrete effect is that now Nyon cannot afford long times: at the end of August the Conference playoffs are played and there are the draws for the cups. So a decision is needed to understand if Juve will be registered or the eighth in Serie A will take over.

The supervisory body should give a ruling by mid-June. The procedure is the usual: an appeal and, in the third degree, the CAS with a privileged lane for a quick response will follow. The -10 of the first sentence and the plea agreement mean that there has been some violation. The sanction depends on two factors: the entity of the breach and the possible fraud. Because Juve has reached an agreement – ​​a plea bargain – with UEFA to pay only 3.5 million instead of 23 (as for PSG). The “settlement” helps virtuous teams but becomes a nightmare for those who do not reach their objectives or have given fraudulent information without which they would not have had such favorable conditions. That’s not all: even unsportsmanlikeness can be another cause of stoppage.

The political question of the Superlega must be added to the legal discourse in the strict sense. No ruling by the EU Court in June. If the judges can’t make it by July, they’ll talk about it from the end of August onwards. If the Court confirms the opinion of Advocate General Rantos, everyone could organize a Superleague incompatible with the Champions League. It would therefore not be UEFA that kicked Juve, Real and Barça out of the cups, but the EU. It would be a sad day for football. The easiest way for Juve is to renounce the Superlega. It’s not that UEFA will increase the sanctions because Juve are rebels. But it can be assumed that it will help in every possible way a “prodigal son” club. Now it’s up to the black and whites to choose the strategy. At the moment the path of intransigence prevails, in the presumable hope that the EU judges will distort the opinion of the Advocate General. But if it doesn’t, it gets tough.