Juventus fights back as club faces hefty payout to ex-striker Cristiano Ronaldo

Juventus is currently examining a ruling by an arbitration court that requires the club to pay its former forward Cristiano Ronaldo approximately 9.8 million euros in back wages, the Serie A club announced on Wednesday. Ronaldo, who is now with Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, had argued that he was owed about 19.5 million euros ($20.81 million) by Juventus due to an agreed pay cut during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a statement provided to Reuters, Juventus confirmed that the arbitration panel acknowledged the legitimacy of the agreement to reduce Ronaldo’s salary for the 2020/21 season. The tribunal decided that Juventus must pay Ronaldo roughly half of the amount he claimed, recognizing the club’s pre-contractual liability stemming from the unsuccessful negotiations and ordering Juventus to compensate Ronaldo with around 9.8 million euros.

Juventus noted that, with guidance from their legal advisors, they are carefully assessing the arbitration panel’s decision and are keeping all options open to protect their rights.

Ronaldo was a significant player for Juventus after joining in August 2018, contributing to the team’s success with two Serie A titles, an Italian Cup, and two Super Cups, before he moved back to Manchester United in 2021.