Cristiano Ronaldo Crushes Former Club in Massive Financial Court Victory
Cristiano Ronaldo has emerged victorious in his most recent legal dispute with former club Juventus regarding unpaid wages from the COVID-19 era.
Following Ronaldo's departure from Juventus to Manchester United in 2021, he claimed he was owed €19.6 million ($22.8 million at today's exchange rates) in deferred salaries, which the Serie A club maintained he had voluntarily waived to assist during their financial difficulties.
In April 2024, a tribunal sided with Ronaldo, casting doubt on the validity of Juventus' arrangement with their former star during a contentious period of fiscal mismanagement. The Bianconeri were mandated to pay €9.8 million—half the claimed sum—which they subsequently did.
Juventus filed an appeal against the decision, attempting to reclaim the funds paid to Ronaldo, but judge Gian Luca Robaldo has rejected their petition.
The matter might not be concluded yet, though. Juventus retain the option to challenge this verdict once more and are currently considering their next steps.
The Full Story of Ronaldo's Dispute With Juventus
The Complete Account of Ronaldo's Legal Battle With Juventus
The COVID-19 era proved challenging for football clubs worldwide as the absence of gate receipts from supporters confined to their homes caused revenues to plummet. Meeting weekly wage obligations became a genuine struggle for numerous organizations.
Consequently, Juventus joined several other clubs in negotiating salary deferral arrangements with their squad members. Players who consented remained entitled to their full contractual compensation, but these payments would be delayed until financial conditions improved.
The issue with Ronaldo stems from his 2021 departure from Juventus, with the Serie A club claiming that his transfer to United included confirmation that Juve had no remaining financial obligations toward him. They contended this should encompass the deferred wages.
Ronaldo eventually pursued legal action against the Turin club for his outstanding salary, and investigators discovered that Juve's documentary proof of their arrangement with Ronaldo lacked the Portuguese star's signature, rendering it void.
Consequently, a tribunal commanded Juventus to make payment, though it determined that Juve had not deliberately attempted to mislead Ronaldo, whose postponement in pursuing the payments also influenced the reduced settlement.