April 18, (THEWILL) – Turin giants, Juventus Football Club, have been ordered to pay their former star player, Cristiano Ronaldo, nearly €10 million in back wages. The decision, announced on Wednesday, by the Italian Court of Arbitration, follows a lengthy legal battle over Ronaldo’s salary during the 2020/2021 season. The Portuguese forward, now playing for Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr, had argued he was owed €19.5m but the court reduced the amount by half.
The court’s ruling states that Juventus must pay Ronaldo €9,774,166.66 plus interest and legal costs. This sum represents the difference between the salary Ronaldo actually received and the amount he was entitled to after tax and other deductions. Ronaldo spent three seasons with Juventus before returning to Manchester United in 2021 and subsequently moving to Al Nassr.
Juventus, listed on the stock exchange, recently announced losses of €123.7m for the 2022/2023 financial year. The club has not yet made provisions in its accounts for the payment of Ronaldo’s back wages. So far Juventus have declined to make any public comments but the club indicated that a statement would be forthcoming.
This legal victory for Ronaldo comes on the heels of his recognition as the world’s highest-paid athlete in 2023 by Forbes magazine. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner reportedly earned $136m, including $46m in wages.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
