Juventus has lost its legal battle against former player Cristiano Ronaldo, with a court ruling that the club has no right to reclaim the €9.8 million it paid him in 2024.
The dispute centered on the validity of a salary reduction agreement reached during the COVID-19 pandemic and the nearly €20 million Ronaldo claimed he was owed.
Juventus had sought to recover the money already paid to the Portuguese captain, but the Turin labor court rejected the club’s appeal.
Documents from a hearing held in April 2024 showed that Ronaldo agreed to defer part of his salary with Juventus to ease the club’s financial pressure during the pandemic. The player later claimed he was not fully compensated, demanding €19.6 million in back pay, citing a “side letter” known as the “Ronaldo Paper.”
For its part, the arbitration panel rejected Ronaldo’s claims that the agreement was invalid and ruled that Juventus had not committed fraud. However, it ordered the club to pay Ronaldo half the amount, plus late payment interest and legal costs. Juventus did pay the sum but filed an appeal the following month to challenge the ruling.
However, the Turin labor court rejected the appeal, meaning the money paid will remain with Ronaldo.
Ronaldo signed for Juventus in 2018 after nine highly successful years at Real Madrid. The 40-year-old star made 134 appearances for the club, scoring 101 goals and providing 28 assists, before moving to Manchester United for €15 million in August 2021.
