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Italian football giant Juventus has been directed by the Italian courts to compensate Portuguese football star Cristiano Ronaldo with a sum of 9.7 million euros ($10.4 million) in overdue wages for the 2020-21 season.
According to reports by AFP, the Court of Arbitration, to which Ronaldo had appealed, declared that Juventus Turin must pay the specified amount, along with interest and procedural expenses, according to its ruling.
This decision comes as a result of the discrepancy between the salary Ronaldo received during the 2020-21 season and the amount he was entitled to after accounting for tax and other deductions.
Ronaldo, who had played for Juventus from 2018 to 2021 before moving to Manchester United and subsequently to Saudi club Al Nassr, initially sought 19.5 million euros in compensation. However, the arbitration panel reduced this claim by 50 per cent.
When contacted by AFP for comments, Juventus declined to provide immediate feedback but assured that a statement would be released shortly.
Meanwhile, Forbes magazine ranked Ronaldo as the highest-paid sportsman globally in 2023, with earnings totalling $136 million, including $46 million in wages.
Despite Juventus' significant financial losses of 123.7 million euros during the 2022-23 financial year, as reported in October, no provisions have been made in the club's accounts to address the outstanding payment owed to Ronaldo.
The club, currently holding the third position in Serie A, has not allocated funds for this purpose in its financial statements.
