Serie A giants Juventus have officially begun the procedure to withdraw from the ill-fated European Super League project that they had joined forces with in 2021, alongside other prominent European clubs.
In a statement released by the Old Lady, it was highlighted that negotiations had taken place with Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona, who remained committed to the project until June 6, with the objective of departing from the European Super League.
"Following these negotiations, certain differences regarding the interpretation of contracts within the Super League Project have emerged. Taking this into consideration, Juventus confirms that it has initiated the necessary steps to withdraw from the aforementioned project," the statement indicated.
The club emphasized that, in accordance with the agreement reached among the clubs for exiting the European Super League project, the approval of both Real Madrid and Barcelona, as well as the other clubs previously involved in the initiative, is required.
La Gazzetta dello Sport captured Juventus' announcement with the headline "Goodbye Super League," while Corriere dello Sport proclaimed, "Juventus is Leaving the Super League: Official Statement Arrives."
It is worth noting that Andrea Agnelli, the former president of Juventus, had been under investigation since May 2021 for various infractions, including unfair capital gains, undervaluation of football player transfer fees, financial fraud, and irregularities in player salaries.
Agnelli, who played a prominent role as one of the key proponents of the European Super League initiative, and the Juventus board stepped down on Nov. 28, 2022, after their names were implicated in the financial corruption investigation.
Agnelli himself faced a 24-month ban from football, as well as a 16-month ban related to the probe into irregularities in player salary payments, due to his involvement in unfair capital gains and misrepresentation of football player transfer values.
Juventus, as a club, also faced penalties and a 10-point deduction in the previous season as a consequence of the ongoing investigations.
The Italian press has also reported that Juventus is contemplating a complete withdrawal from the UEFA Europa Conference League, for which they had qualified this year, as a strategic move to mitigate potential penalties from UEFA, which is conducting its own inquiry into financial corruption.
The European Super League initiative was originally announced on April 19, 2021, by 12 prominent clubs: Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Tottenham from England, and Milan, Inter, and Juventus from Italy, as well as Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, and Real Madrid from Spain.
According to the initial format, the 15 founding clubs were to have permanent membership in the league, which would consist of 20 teams, while the remaining participants would be determined based on the success criteria of their respective domestic leagues.
Following vehement backlash from FIFA, the UEFA and the wider sports community, nine clubs, excluding Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus, swiftly announced their withdrawal from the project.
Both UEFA and FIFA issued warnings, cautioning that the three remaining clubs could face severe sanctions, including expulsion from their affiliated organizations and national leagues, as well as bans on participating in international competitions.
Subsequently, the matter was taken to the European Court of Justice, further complicating the already contentious situation.