How much do Juventus have to pay Cristiano Ronaldo in their legal battle over wages?

Cristiano Ronaldo has won his latest legal case against Juventus, being awarded just over $10M (€9.7M) in the case over wage payments.

According to Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport, an arbitration panel comprising Gianroberto Villa, Roberto Sacchi, and Leandro Cantamessa ruled in Ronaldo’s favor, holding that Juventus owed the star €19.5 million in gross earnings plus interest. Ultimately, the club will be obliged to pay the Portuguese soccer player a total of €9,774,166.66, the net amount he was due after taxes.

Juventus’ ‘salary maneuvers’ in the pandemic

The Ronaldo vs Juventus case stems from the so-called “salary maneuvers” Juventus implemented during the 2020 and 2021 covid-19 pandemic, where players were asked to forfeit four months’ wages with a promise to recoup three in subsequent seasons. As reported by Tuttosport, Ronaldo never signed the document that finalized the agreement with the Turin-based club—a document later uncovered by prosecutors during the Prisma investigation into alleged fictitious capital gains.

According to Calcio e Finanza, Juventus had “no intention” of complying with their former star’s demands, a stance reflected in their recent financial statements, which showed no provision for potential compensation.

Juventus argued that the issue was in fact settled when Ronaldo moved to Manchester United, claiming that he had already forfeited the four months’ wages at that time—a claim Ronaldo refuted. The legal proceedings, which began in September, mark the final chapter in Ronaldo’s battle with the Old Lady. The forward joined Serie A in 2018 and, after three seasons, 134 matches, and 101 goals, moved to Manchester United in the summer of 2021. Almost three years on, he will receive the salary he argued was owed to him.