Everyone expected that the next big club to change ownership would be Manchester United, but that was not the case. Several European media immediately announced that Juventus was for sale. Yes, they don’t play in the Premier League, but surely a team with such a rich history and such a big name will be of interest to many people. The Arab sheikhs have been especially active lately and the Americans will no doubt make an attempt.
The Glazers decide not to sell Manchester United
The Old Lady is currently owned by Exor (63.8% of the shares), controlled by the Agnelli family. The Turin team bravely endured the previous shock – relegation to Serie B: it quickly returned to the elite and, after several years of mediocre performances, began to dominate the Italian Championship like no one had done before. Nine Scudettos in a row.
The thing is that along the way the northern Italian team seems to have overestimated its capabilities. Instead of a systematic development, Andrea Agnelli opted for a powerful advance, inviting Cristiano Ronaldo for a lot of money. Thanks to the star footballer, in addition to the rebranding, the team planned to reach a global level in terms of popularity in new markets.
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This was partially successful, but led to the departure of one of the main creators of that dominant Juve: Giuseppe Marotta. He was against buying from the Portuguese. And, as it turned out, he was right. The exorbitant salary of a newcomer, as well as Covid, severely affected the club’s financial stability. And the new purchases did not shine with thoughtfulness, they seemed chaotic and did not give the expected result.
Now the Bianconeri are obviously in crisis: the team is left without European Cups, has not yet won the Championship, is at the center of a judicial process, and Agnelli himself was forced to move to the Netherlands. And we have not yet moved on to talking about a sharp drop in income and an increase in losses and debts. Last year’s losses amounted to approximately a quarter of a billion euros.
According to rumors, potential buyers should prepare to shell out at least one and a half billion euros. When talking about sales of top clubs, everyone usually immediately looks to the Middle East. Maybe now there are people interested in buying Juventus.
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True, he was quick to deny that the Agnellis were considering selling the club, but, as we know, there is no smoke without fire. Furthermore, what owner openly declares that he wants to part with such a valuable asset? Of course, no one does this to get the biggest check possible.
UEFA excludes Juventus from European competitions for one season
It is absolutely impossible to guess what will happen to the club now. On the other hand, the current situation is extremely unpleasant and cannot suit the fans, so there is hope for improvement. What did the legendary Gianni Agnelli, whose beloved creation they took to the point of having to sell it, say to his descendants? Maybe it’s even good that he doesn’t see all this.
