Cristiano Ronaldo has been in a legal battle with Juventus for over two years, and the verdict is finally in.
The Portuguese icon had filed a case against his former side in 2023, but the Serie A giants refused to take the case lying down, choosing to appeal the 2024 verdict.
Juventus Lose Battle to Cristiano Ronaldo
The COVID-19 pandemic affected clubs around the world, and Juventus were among those that agreed to defer part of the salaries owed to players. Ronaldo was among the players who were supposed to get approximately $20 million from the Italian club after the agreed-upon period.
The Portuguese superstar left the Turin side in 2021 for Manchester United, but the deferred wages were yet to be paid. The 40-year-old filed a case in 2023 after the club refused to release the payments.
After a hearing in April 2024, Ronaldo agreed to let go of a part of the wages owed to him to help the club, who were still recovering from financial issues. He was paid $11 million, along with late payment interest and legal fees, by the Serie A side after the agreement was reached, but they filed an appeal to recover the amount paid to the Portuguese superstar a month later.
The legal battle took a fresh turn when the former Real Madrid forward filed a counterclaim, seeking payment of the full amount plus interest for the delay. However, his appeal was swiftly rejected, while the club’s appeal was set for a hearing.
According to a report in Gazzetta, Turin Labour Court judge Gian Luca Robaldo has now ruled in Ronaldo’s favour, allowing him to keep the $11 million paid by the club in 2024. Juventus are yet to decide whether to proceed with another appeal to recover the amount mentioned in the 2023/24 financial statement.
In 2024, Juventus president Gianluca Ferrero said that they had mentioned the amount owed to Ronaldo as a ‘risk fund’ in the financial statement, saying, “We paid Cristiano Ronaldo in April, there’s no need for any risk fund. We paid 50% of the amount he requested, so there’s no need for a risk fund because the amounts have been paid.”
However, he added that they would be appealing, and the case has now concluded. Any further action would require the club to start a fresh process if they aim to recover the amount paid to Ronaldo.
