Italian police raid Juventus offices over financial irregularity claims

By Baris Seckin

ROME (AA) - Italian authorities have launched an investigation into the Juventus football club for financial irregularity claims.

"Since this afternoon, on the orders of this Public Prosecutor's Office, soldiers of the Guardia di Finanza (financial police unit in Italy) have been carrying out local searches at the Turin and Milan offices of Juventus Football Club Spa," said a statement released late on Friday by the Turin Public Prosecutor's Office.

It added that police searched the Juventus offices to inspect the Serie A club's approved financial statements and footballers' deals in 2019-2021.

The financial probe seeks to inspect profits from transfers and agents fees during these years.

Six people, including its President Andrea Agnelli, Vice President Pavel Nedved, and ex-sporting director Fabio Paratici, are also under investigation.

Italian daily Corriere dello Sport said police were also inspecting a 2020 transfer between Juventus and Spain's Barcelona, which was an exchange deal involving Bosnian midfielder Miralem Pjanic and Brazilian Arthur Melo.

As part of the swap, Pjanic left Juventus to join Barcelona, and Arthur moved to Juventus in September 2020.

Italian football watchdog COVISOC and the country's financial regulation body CONSOB have already opened their own investigation.

*Writing by Can Erozden in Ankara