JUVENTUS
Will Juventus be able to play in the Champions League? UEFA consider Juve ban
The Italian giants have had a 15-point penalty reversed but could still be excluded from next season’s UEFA competitions.
Italian giants Juventus face Sevilla in the Europa League semi-finals with a shot at continental glory up for grabs. Normally the winner of the Europa League qualifies for the following season’s Champions League, but Juventus could face a ban from European football’s governing body.
Juventus have been at the centre of a financial scandal in recent months that led to the mass resignation of the club’s board and a 15-point penalty in Serie A. However an Italian appeals court ruled that the 15-point deduction had not been properly justified and they have had the points reinstated, for now.
With just a month left of the season there is still so much uncertainty surrounding the Turin club. We take a look at where things stand and Juventus’ chances of returning to the Champions League for 2023/24…
Will Juventus qualify for the Champions League?
In Italy, like in other top European leagues, the top four finishers qualify for the Champions League. Juventus’ 15-point deduction looked to have made qualification impossible this campaign but they have shot up to second place now that the points have been restored, with just four games remaining.
The Turin Public Prosecutor’s Office investigated the club in relation to claims that Juventus had falsely inflated the valuation of players involved in transfers to boost their capital gains. They convinced the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) to asses the case in 2022 and in January this year the FIGC hit Juventus with a 15-point penalty.
Juventus appealed the ruling and had the penalty reversed, but the appeals court ordered for the case to be re-heard. Italy’s Federal Court of Appeal will rule on the suspended 15-point penalty on 22 May. If Juventus avoid serious punishment they will end the season in the Champions League qualification places and could also earn qualification by winning the Europa League.
However, they could still be denied entry to next year’s competition.
Will UEFA ban Juventus from European competition?
Italian sports publication Gazzetta dello Sport report that UEFA is considering imposing its own punishment on Juventus in relation to the club’s financial practices. The Turin Public Prosecutor’s Office has reportedly shared its findings with European football’s governing body and they may decide to step in.
UEFA needs to confirm the entries to next season’s competitions fairly swiftly and will examine the evidence gathered by investigators in Turin and Italy. The play-off stages for European competition begin in August and UEFA will want the entrants confirmed well in advance.
Therefore UEFA are likely to issue their ruling soon and it would not be a major surprise if they were to impose additional punishment on the Turin club.
In September 2022 Juventus were hit with a €3.5 million fine for transgressing UEFA’s Financial Fair Play rules. They agreed comply with a series of other rules to avoid receiving a further €19.5 million in fines.
However if the findings from the Turin Prosecutor suggest that Juventus are guilty of more than initially thought, UEFA could decide to escalate their punishment and impose a ban from all European competitions.
Juventus look set to finish in Italy’s Champions League qualification places and are considered the favourites to lift the Europa League this year. But despite that, the club is still unsure if it will be able to compete in next season’s Champions League.
“They cut their own throats, the wiretaps speak for themselves,” said Evelina Christillin, a UEFA member with a close relationship to Juventus’ owners the Agnelli family. “We still have to see what happens with the undeclared wage payments and what UEFA decide. There could be further sanctions.”