Ex-Juventus Chair Agnelli faces trial over financial misconduct
Andrea Agnelli speaks during the Juventus Shareholders' Meeting, Turin, Italy, Dec. 27, 2022. (Getty Images Photo)


Rome prosecutors have urged former Juventus Chairman Andrea Agnelli and several ex-managers of the iconic Italian football club to stand trial for alleged financial misconduct, including charges of stock market manipulation, obstruction of oversight and false invoicing, judicial sources revealed Wednesday.

The defendants, including former vice-chairman and Ballon d'Or winner Pavel Nedved, face a range of serious accusations stemming from their time at the helm of Italy's most storied football institution.

Juventus said in a statement that its lawyers had notified it of the request for indictment by the Public Prosecutor's Office of the Court of Rome. A lawyer for Agnelli, who was Juventus chairman from 2010 to 2022, was not immediately available for comment.

A judge must evaluate the prosecutors' request and decide whether to let a trial proceed or dismiss the case. A date for a hearing on the issue has yet to be scheduled.

Juventus has repeatedly denied wrongdoing and said its accounting aligns with industry standards.

The club was docked 10 points for the Serie A season in May 2023 after a ruling by an Italian soccer court in a case centered on their transfer dealings.

In March of the same year, a Turin judge began to examine whether Agnelli, 11 other people, and the club should face trial, but Italy's Supreme Court transferred the case from the club's home city to Rome at the request of defense lawyers.