Could Juventus be relegated again? What happens now following resignation of entire board?

The Juventus board of directors, alongside club president Andrea Agnelli, resigned from their positions on Monday. The decision comes after a preliminary investigation was launched into false accounting against President Agnelli, Vice President Pavel Nedved, CEO Maurizio Arrivabene, and 12 other personnel. As per AP inputs, the investigation was launched by the Turin Public Prosecutor’s Office towards fraudulent accounting and alleged hidden payments to the players.

It is pertinent to mention that as many as 23 players and then head coach Maurizio Sarri agreed for a pay cut, for a four-month period at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. The move was aimed at helping the club amid the crisis. However, reports claim that the players gave up only one month’s salary. 

Juventus' success after Andrea Agnelli's take over as President in 2010

As the Italian prosecuting authorities unearthed irregularities by the club, a mass resignation has been witnessed for two years now. Agnelli assumed the role of Juventus’ President in 2010 and has been serving the club for 12 years now. During this period, Juventus became a dominant side in the Italian league and went on to win nine consecutive Serie A titles from the 2011-12 to 2019-20 seasons.

Nedved, who is also a former club legend, became a member of the board in 2010 and later became the Vice President in 2015. He had spent the final eight years of his career as a player with Juventus. On the other hand, Arrivabene joined Juventus in 2019 after finishing his term as the Scuderia Ferrari Team principal in F1 in 2019. 

Will Juventus be relegated again?

It is still too early to assess as to what kind of an implication this case could have in the sporting matters. Juventus and other clubs involved in the sporting trial with regard to inflated transfer values were steered clear of allegations in April 2022, but it is still yet to be seen if the case reopens following resignation of the entire board.

If this does happen, there isn’t any new sporting trial, so it appears that Juventus, as a club, are not in danger of facing consequences. It is noteworthy that Juventus were relegated in 2006 following a match-fixing scandal.

Juventus' downfall at a glance since 2019-20

Arrivabene went on to become the club’s CEO in 2021 but had been part of the board of directors since 2012. In a press release on their official website, Juventus confirmed that the former Ferrari boss will remain in charge as the CEO while the club appoints a new board. The club also confirmed in the statement that the new board of directors will be confirmed in a meeting, scheduled to be held on January 18 in 2023.

As per reports, Gianluca Ferrero is the leading candidate to become the new Juventus President. It is worth noting that Juventus have witnessed a fall in its performance in recent years. Having won their last title in the 2019-20 season, the last two Serie A titles have been lifted by both Milan sides.