Former Juventus Executives Receive Suspended Sentences in False Accounting Plea Bargain

Andrea Agnelli, former president of Juventus, has accepted a plea bargain resulting in a 20-month suspended sentence related to a false accounting trial focused on the club's financial misconduct, including illegal commissions and wage manipulation. The plea deal, accepted by a Rome judge, also involved suspended sentences for former executives Fabio Paratici and Pavel Nedved, while former CEO Maurizio Arrivabene was cleared of wrongdoing. The investigation, launched in 2021, revealed Juventus's use of false invoices and misleading investors, leading to a 10-point penalty for the club in the 2022-23 Serie A season and exclusion from UEFA's Conference League. Juventus was fined €156,000 and settled with investors for over €1 million. Agnelli emphasized that his plea bargain was not an admission of guilt but a decision to avoid prolonged legal uncertainty, expressing his ongoing connection to Juventus and Italy despite residing in Amsterdam. His sports bans are set to expire soon, potentially allowing a return to football administration.