Andrea Agnelli, the former president of Juventus, was charged with fraud for his handling of player salary reductions during the coronavirus outbreak and received a further 16-month suspension from sport.
It extends Agnelli’s existing two-year suspension due to a bogus accounting issue.
The Italian football federation penalized Agnelli 60,000 euros ($65,000) on Monday for improper conduct in his dealings with player agents and his collaborations with other clubs.
In May, Juventus and seven additional former Juventus directors reached a plea agreement with the federation over the salary dispute. Agnelli was the only party involved in the case who chose to go to trial.
Juventus announced at the beginning of the pandemic that 23 players had consented to a four-month salary reduction to assist the team in getting through the crisis. Prosecutors contend that the athletes only forfeited one month’s salary.
Juventus, which was penalized 10 points for incorrect accounting in a different judicial matter last season, ran the prospect of receiving more point deductions.
Juventus and Agnelli have both denied wrongdoing. Following the Turin prosecutors’ probe into incorrect accounting, he and the whole Juventus board of directors resigned in November.
Agnelli is expected to have a busy week of court appearances because his most recent appeal about the two-year suspension resulting from the false accounting case is scheduled to be heard on Tuesday.
In addition, UEFA is anticipated to make a decision soon on whether Juventus’ legal issues warrant a ban from the Conference League for the upcoming season.
