Union Berlin: Bonucci declares lawsuit against Juventus Turin – “Humiliated”

Decision “after long suffering”

Leonardo Bonucci, who was retired from Juventus Turin and then moved to Union Berlin, has fired sharply against his long-time employer, against whom he is taking legal action. The 36-year-old central defender confirmed this plan in an interview with “Sports media set“. “After a long period of suffering, I have decided to take the legal route with Juventus. I have read and heard untrue statements from the club and the coach,” said Bonucci, without mentioning the name of the affected trainer Massimiliano Allegri.

The veteran, who actually wanted to end his career in Turin in a year, said: “It is not true that I was informed in October about future plans that exclude me from Juve. In October I was given the opportunity to extend the contract (…) because the club understood how important it was to have me in the dressing room.” Bonucci reported subsequent discussions and allegedly false representations. At the end of May he was informed that he would only be the fifth choice in central defense for the 2023/24 season. “I accepted that without wanting to cause problems.”

Everything changed in the summer, “I didn’t hear anything until July 13th. I only found out about it from the newspapers until July 13th when Giuntoli (director of professional football Cristiano Giuntoli; editor) and Manna (sports director Giovanni Manna; editor) came to my house and told me that I wasn’t belong to the Juventus squad and my presence on the pitch would hinder the development of the team. That was the humiliation I suffered after 500 or more games.”

Union Berlin’s new signing Bonucci was no longer allowed to train at Juventus Turin

His rights would have stipulated that “regardless of the decision, I should have trained with the team and been put in a position to face the next season physically and athletically. This was not granted to me and I no longer trained with the team. I felt empty, humiliated, I could no longer do what I love most.” His lawsuit was by no means a question of money, emphasized Bonucci, who will play in the Champions League with Union in the future.

“If I win the case, I will donate everything to charity.” He also wants to make a difference in the footballers’ union, of which he is a member. In Italian football there have recently been repeated allegations of bullying against players such as Nicolò Zaniolo (24; AS Roma), Federico Bonazzoli (26; US Salernitana) and Gianluigi Donnarumma (24; AC Milan), but legal action has been taken against the clubs none. It was recently reported that Bonucci’s decision did not represent a personal guerrilla war against the Turin team, but rather that the 121-time Italian national player was making a fundamental decision for footballers in similar situations.

“I am pursuing this matter because the people who were supposed to let me end my career at Juventus in a respectful and dignified manner have not done so,” explained the defensive icon. “It is clear to everyone that I never had the relationship with the coach that I wanted. It’s not just my fault, because I have my character and have often taken positions for the benefit of the team and my teammates.” This quickly led to him not being able to end his career the way he would have wanted. He will also do everything he can to play for the national team again in the future.

About the time after his career, Bonucci said: “When I decide to become a coach, I have my path in mind with what I want to do. Certainly, when I become coach, Juventus will no longer be the same as it is today, and perhaps one day there will be a way to hug the fans again, greet them and make them realize how important Juventus was to me . Today’s is not mine.”

To home page