Juventus has lost its appeal against a court ruling that awarded former striker Cristiano Ronaldo millions in unpaid wages, as confirmed by the Serie A club to ESPN.
A labor court in Turin dismissed Juventus’ appeal on Monday, meaning Ronaldo will not have to refund the €9.75 million ($11.4 million) he previously received, along with interest.
Additionally, Juventus is responsible for all legal fees, estimated at around €80,000 ($86,000).
In April 2024, an arbitration tribunal ruled that Juventus was required to pay half of the €19.5 million ($20.81 million) that Ronaldo sought for outstanding wages related to a pay cut made during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This recent ruling is not expected to adversely affect Juventus’ financial status, as the amount in question had already been paid to Ronaldo and accounted for in the 2023-24 budget.
Juventus has the option to appeal to a higher court, and the club stated to ESPN that its legal team will review the ruling in the coming days to determine the next steps.
Currently the captain of Al Nassr, Ronaldo joined Juventus in August 2018, contributing to the club’s success by winning consecutive Serie A titles, an Italian Cup, and two Super Cups before rejoining Manchester United in August 2021.
Ronaldo’s legal team released the following statement: “The judge rejected all objections raised by the club, reaffirming the appropriate application of civil law principles regarding pre-contractual liability and the safeguarding of legitimate expectations. Ronaldo had temporarily agreed to forgo a portion of his salary during the pandemic; however, Juventus failed to uphold their part of the agreement, breaching the trust of the Portuguese star.”