In a remarkable turn of events, the entire board of directors at Serie A giants Juventus resigned on November 28, 2022.
That decision was taken ahead of an extraordinary general assembly, with the news broken by GOAL as Italian football is once again rocked to its core by goings on in Turin.
Who are the prominent figures to have stepped down and why have they taken that course of action? GOAL takes a look.
Why has the Juventus board resigned?
Juve have posted record losses of €254.3 million (£219m/$264m) for 2021-22 and a shareholders’ meeting that was due to take place on November 23 was initially pushed back to December 27.
It has, however, been revealed that all members of the club’s board are now stepping down, with president Andrea Agnelli and vice-president Pavel Nedved among those to be vacating their posts.
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That decision has been taken following an investigation into alleged false accounting and communication on behalf of the Serie A heavyweights, with CONSOB – the body in charge of supervising activity on the Italian stock market – asking for clarification on the Bianconeri’s balance sheet.
The Turin Prosecutor is also investigating salary payments that were supposedly deferred during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Authorities are seeking to prove that Juve did not give up four months’ worth of payments, as was claimed at the time, and that only one month was given up, with wages continuing to be paid through a series of private agreements.
In May and June 2020, 23 players signed agreements that would see their respective salaries reduced in a bid to cut costs during a testing period financially for clubs around the world – with games played out in empty stadiums as supporters were prevented from attending.
According to the Gazzetta dello Sport, Juventus stars were paid “in the black” to allow the players and the club to avoid taxes, while statements were allegedly falsified in order to make out that books had been balanced.
Who were the Juventus board members?
Getty ImagesIt has been announced that current CEO Maurizio Arrivabene, who left Formula One team Scuderia Ferrari to join Juve in 2019, will continue in his role while a new board is assembled – with a meeting scheduled for January 18, 2023 in order to complete that process.
Gianluca Ferrero will take over as president following the departure of Agnelli, who has been with the Bianconeri since 2010.
The Juventus board of directors that have all resigned are:
- Andrea Agnelli – President
- Pavel Nedved – Vice President
- Maurizio Arrivabene – CEO
- Laurence Debroux – Director
- Massimo Della Ragione – Independent Director
- Kathryn Fink – Independent Director
- Daniela Marilungo – Independent Director
- Francesco Roncaglio – Director
- Giorgio Tacchia – Independent Director
- Suzanne Heywood – Director
What has been said about the resignations?
Getty/GOALJuventus have confirmed on the club’s official website that their board of directors are stepping down.
Agnelli, who figured prominently in the failed bid to get a European Super League (ESL) off the ground in April 2021, has said in a message sent out to all members of the Bianconeri’s staff: “Playing for Juventus, working for Juventus; one objective: Victory.
“Those who have the privilege of wearing the Bianconeri jersey know that. Those who work in a team know that hard work beats talent if the talent doesn’t work hard. Juventus are one of the biggest clubs in the world and those who work or play here know that the result is thanks to the efforts of the whole team.
“We are accustomed for our history and DNA to win. From 2010 we honoured our history by achieving extraordinary results: the Stadium, nine men’s Scudetto titles in a row, the first in Italy to have Netflix and Amazon Prime shows, the J|Medical centre, five consecutive Women’s Scudetto titles from day zero.
"And more, the deal with Volkswagen (few know about it), reaching the Champions League finals in Berlin and Cardiff (our greatest regrets), the agreement with adidas, the Next Gen Coppa Italia, the first club to represent teams in the UEFA Executive Committee, the J|Museum and much more.
“Hours, days, nights, months and seasons with the objective of always improving in sight of certain instances. Each of us can call to mind that moment before stepping onto the pitch: you leave the locker room and turn right, around 20 steps up with a grate in between, another 10 steps up and there you are: ‘el miedo escénico’ and in that moment you know the whole team is with you and the impossible becomes feasible.
"Bernabeu, Old Trafford, Allianz Arena, Westfallen Stadium, San Siro, Georgios Karaiskakis, Celtic Park, Camp Nou: wherever we went when the team was united, we feared nobody.
“When the team is not united, then that opens the way for opponents to hurt you and that can be fatal. In that moment, you must have the sharpness of mind to contain the damage: we are facing a delicate moment as a club and that unity is lost. Better to leave all together giving the opportunity for a new team to overturn that game.
“Our awareness will be their challenge: being up to the standard of the history of Juventus.
“I will continue to imagine and work towards a better football, comforted by a phrase by Friedrich Nietzsche: ‘And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music.’
“Remember, we will recognise each other with a glance: We are Juve people! Until the end...”