Turin labor judge Gian Luca Robaldo issued the final ruling in the wage dispute between Ronaldo and Juventus, a case stemming from the striker's departure from Allianz Stadium to rejoin Man Utd in 2021.

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, the court rejected Juventus' appeal, meaning the club cannot recover the 10,6 million USD already paid to Ronaldo as part of his outstanding wages.

Cristiano Ronaldo in a match between Juventus and Inter Milan in Serie A in 2019. Photo: Reuters

Previously, upon leaving Juventus, Ronaldo had approximately 21,2 million USD in unpaid wages, which accrued during the Covid-19 pandemic when Serie A clubs faced financial difficulties. In 2023, the Portuguese superstar sued Juventus, taking the matter to an arbitration panel.

In 4/2024, the arbitration panel ruled that Juventus only had to pay half of the aforementioned amount, equivalent to 10,6 million USD. The reason was that the private agreement between both parties – which Italian authorities also investigated – lacked Ronaldo's official signature, thus providing insufficient legal basis.

Juventus appealed, but the latest Turin court ruling confirmed the club had no right to reclaim the money already paid to the Portuguese superstar. Additionally, "the Old Lady" was ordered to bear all legal costs of the lawsuit.

However, this decision does not affect Juventus' financial report, as the aforementioned amount was already paid and accounted for in the 2023-2024 fiscal year.

The Serie A representative is expected to continue reviewing the verdict to assess the possibility of taking further legal steps, though the likelihood of overturning the ruling remains low.

Ronaldo played for Juventus from 2018 to 2021, scoring 101 goals in 134 matches and securing two Serie A titles, one Coppa Italia, and two Supercoppa Italiana. However, CR7 failed to help the team win the Champions League, a title Juventus last secured in 1997. Juventus and Ronaldo only reached the quarterfinals in the 2018-2019 season, before being eliminated in the round of 16 in both the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 seasons.

In 9/2021, Juventus sold Ronaldo to Man Utd for 26 million USD. He played for "the Red Devils" until 11/2022, before publicly criticizing the club and terminating his contract. From 1/2023, he moved to Saudi Arabia to play for Al Nassr, earning a record income of 200 million USD annually.

By Hong Duy (via Football Italy)