The board of directors of the Turin club tendered their resignation on Monday evening. A few hours later, Mattia Binotto, the director of Scuderia Ferrari, also announced that he was stepping down.
This is a big blow for Italian sport, and in particular for the businesses controlled by the Agnelli family. On Monday evening, to everyone’s surprise, the board of directors of Juventus announced its resignation. This is in addition to the departure of the club’s president, Andrea Agnelli, who has been in office since 2010. The club said the board had “considered it in the best social interest” to resign, “considering the centrality and relevance of the outstanding legal and technical-accounting issues”.
The turmoil follows an investigation by the Italian judiciary that has been ongoing for more than a year into “false exchanges” of players. The club also allegedly hid from its investors the existence of private agreements with players, including striker Cristiano Ronaldo, to pay certain salaries on a deferred basis. These informations has caused the club’s share price to fall by almost 20% since January.
Following the resignation of its board of directors, Juventus “will continue to collaborate and cooperate with the supervisory authorities and the sector”, it announced.
As a replacement, businessman Gianluca Ferrero has been recommended by Exor, the Agnelli family holding company, as the new chairman. The decision will be taken at the next general meeting, scheduled for 18 January.
On the motorsport side, there is movement at Ferrari, which is also controlled by the Agnelli family. Mattia Binotto, the Scuderia’s main team manager, officially resigned on Tuesday. He has been with the company for 28 years and has been in the position since 2019. He is paying the price for a disappointing season, which saw the team fail to win the world championship and the Formula 1 Constructors’ Trophy.
“I am leaving a company that I love, that I have been part of for 28 years, with serenity, convinced that I have made every effort to achieve the objectives set. I am leaving a united and growing team. A strong team, ready – I am sure – to achieve the highest goals, to which I wish the best for the future. I believe I am right to make this decision now, difficult as it is. I would like to thank all those at Gestione Sportiva who have shared this adventure with me, made up of difficulties but also of great satisfactions”, he explains.
The name of his successor is not yet known, but the name of Fréderic Vasseur, director of Alpha Romeo, powered by Ferrari, is regularly mentioned in the press.
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Featured photo : © Cyril Zingaro/AP/Sipa
